Trial without jury “a last resort”

...so says the Lord Chief Justice, and only where a “real and present danger of jury tampering was certain”. This story is useful as AS students are required to understanding jury tampering, and restricting the right to jury trial has been a constant theme in recent years.

Applications for trials without a jury appear to be a “creeping trend” according to the excellent Clive Coleman of the BBC. Whilst the court appears to have little sympathy for the likes of John Twomey who may be regarded as attempting to “subvert the process” by some, it appears that the judiciary are keen to ensure that trials without a jury remain a matter of last resort. Was the first such trial “breaking history”, or a necessary step to take in the circumstances? A good discussion point that links to wider issues around the jury system.