Ellen Peart and Daniel Jackson review the future of jury trials
in England and Wales as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic.
In March 2020, new and ongoing jury trials were halted in
England and Wales by the Lord Chief Justice ('LCJ') until
they could be conducted safely, due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
We represented a defendant in the first new trial to commence at
the Central Criminal Court on 18 May 2020 under the new safety
measures, which concluded on 28 May 2020 and resulted in our
client's acquittal.
As Crown Courts endeavour to comply with the necessary safety
requirements, much focus has been on the extensive backlog of
cases, and how the crown courts are going to address this
issue.
