David Lammy leaves 10 Downing Street earlier this month.

A former judge has condemnedDavid Lammy’s plans to scrap most jury trials.

Christopher Kinch KC, who was resident judge at Woolwich Crown Court in London from 2013 and 2024, accused the justice secretary of “cynically” ignoring other ways of clearing the backlog of cases in the system.

He also said removing the right to a jury trial for a large number of offences risked “undermining” public trust in the criminal process.

Under the reforms, jury trials would be scrapped for crimes that carry a likely sentence of less than three years.

Those cases will be heard by a lone judge in a newly-created Crown Court Bench Division.

The most serious offences such as murder and rape will continue to be dealt with by juries.

Lammy said the changes, which are backed by

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