David Lammy (pictured), the justice secretary and deputy prime minister, has made a final decision on use of juries at fraud trials.

In a letter to Andy Slaughter MP, chair of the Justice Select Committee sent on 3 March 2026, Lammy wrote: ‘The system stands on the brink of collapse, and so urgent government action is essential.’

He said: ‘A core principle of our reform programme is that decisions about mode of trial should rest with the court, not the defendant.’

Lammy first set out plans to change the jury trial system in December 2025, in a move which he said would stop the use of juries in ‘either way’ fraud offences, which cover lower level fraud and have potential custodial sentences of up to three years.

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