Justice Committee warns court reform could favour repeat offenders

Download our app Government plans for court reform could inadvertently make it more likely for defendants with previous convictions to face a jury trial compared to those with clean records, an "unintended consequence" highlighted by a Justice Committee report. This disparity stems from the proposed trial allocation process, which considers the likely sentence length; previous convictions are an aggravating factor, leading to longer potential jail terms and thus increasing the chances of a jury trial.