Some jury trials may be scrapped in England and Wales as court backlog hits record high

Review led by Sir Brian Leveson will consider creating ‘intermediate courts’ heard by judge in bid to speed up trials

• Courts in crisis – what it means for claimants, the accused and justice system as a whole

Jury trials could be abandoned for some criminal cases in England and Wales under a radical overhaul proposed by ministers as the backlog of cases in crown courts hit a record high.

A review, to be led by the former high court judge Sir Brian Leveson, will consider creating new “intermediate courts” where cases could be heard by a judge flanked by magistrates, in an attempt to speed up the length of trials.