Concerns are growing over plans to scale back jury trials in England and Wales, with critics warning the proposals could undermine judicial independence, increase risks to judges, and weaken long standing civil rights protections within the justice system.

Former justice secretary Sir Robert Buckland has warned that removing juries from some criminal trials could leave judges exposed to intimidation, political pressure and even physical attacks from defendants or their families.

Under the proposed reforms, defendants facing prison sentences of fewer than three years could be tried by a single judge without a jury. Offences covered by the plans would include grievous bodily harm, burglary, affray and sexual assault.

Speaking on the legal charity Justice’s podcast, Sir Robert said concentrating the power to convict in the hands of individual judges could have dangerous consequences.

“My concern is that without properly addressing the question of security for judges who are going to be determining these cases both in the court and outside, there will be potential threats that they may receive or pressure that they may come under,” he said.

“If they’re being drawn into the arena to make these decisions, it’s not unreasonable to anticipate the potential for attacks.”

The proposals have sparked concern among campaigners and legal figures who see trial by jury as a cornerstone of democratic justice and an important safeguard against state overreach.

Critics argue that juries provide ordinary citizens with a direct role in the justice system, helping to ensure verdicts reflect community standards rather than political pressure or institutional bias. Removing juries from more cases, they warn, risks shifting power away from the public and into the hands of the state.

Sir Robert also warned that judges deciding serious criminal cases alone could face growing public hostility, particularly in controversial cases where emotions run high.

“With four in 10 judges already expressing fears for their safety, exposing them to further public backlash and politicisation could seriously threaten judicial independence and with it, the integrity of our justice system,” he said.

His concerns were echoed last month by Baroness Carr of Walton-on-the-Hill, the Lady Chief Justice, who warned that abuse directed at judges online had already “taken a nasty turn”. A judicial survey found that 39 per cent of judges worried about their safety.

Sir Robert said judges were increasingly being publicly named and singled out, creating fears within the judiciary that their work was becoming unsafe.

“This is crazy,” he said.

The warnings come against the backdrop of previous attacks on judges in British courts.

In one family court case, Greg Hazeltine, 41, was jailed for five months after throwing a radiator at Judge Patrick Perusko before repeatedly punching him and calling him a “little lying weasel” at Milton Keynes family court.

Violence has also reached criminal courts. At Ipswich Crown Court, the brother of a defendant jailed for causing death by dangerous driving rushed from the public gallery and assaulted the judge.

Sir Robert also pointed to the history of Northern Ireland’s judge only Diplock courts during the Troubles, where judges became direct targets of violence. He recalled memorial plaques in the courts honouring murdered judges.

The reforms, championed by Justice Secretary David Lammy, have been heavily criticised by some legal figures and civil liberties advocates who fear the changes could weaken public trust in the justice system.

A Ministry of Justice spokesman defended the proposals, saying serious cases would still be heard by juries and insisting protections for judges and court users remained in place.

“Victims are facing unacceptably long waits for justice after years of delays in our courts,” the spokesman said.

“That is why we are pressing ahead with our plans alongside modernising it for the 21st century with record investment.”

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