Recent proposals by justice secretary David Lammy to curb the use of juries in a wide swathe of criminal trials have brought the future of jury-led justice sharply into focus. Although the proposed changes would affect a range of criminal cases, the implications for fraud trials raise serious concerns.

The suggestion that complex financial crimes might be tried by judge-only courts revives long-standing concerns over fairness, transparency and the role of ordinary citizens in delivering justice, concerns especially acute when the evidence involves intricate financial systems and expert testimony.