Immediately Rescind David Lammy's Proposal to Conditionally Scrap Trial by Jury — 21 signatures. Status: rejected.
According to the BBC "Justice Secretary David Lammy is proposing to massively restrict the ancient right to a jury trial by only guaranteeing it for defendants facing rape, murder, manslaughter or other cases passing a public interest test." This is wrong and should be stopped.
Trial by Jury is an essential right because it holds one accountable to their peers and the community at large. The Jury is the body that decides because the outcome is in their interest. The courts, and the government at large, have a different set of interests beholden to undemocratic institutions. Thus, scrapping of trial by jury significantly undermines the process of justice. When the government decides what is public interest, they decide who has the right to a jury, this is authoritarian.
View this petition on the official UK Parliament website