Black Activists Rising Against Cuts. (BARAC) UK: Press Release: OBV and BARAC UK Respond to Retrospective Removal of Jury Trials

PRESS RELEASE: IMMEDIATE RELEASE

The late Reverend Jesse Jackson with chair of BARAC UK Zita Holbourne

26th February 2026

Operation Black Vote and BARAC Respond to Retrospective Removal of Jury Trials

Operation Black Vote (OBV). and Black Activists Rising Against Cuts (BARAC) UK are deeply concerned by Government plans to apply judge-only trials retrospectively to defendants who were expecting jury trials.

Chair of the Criminal Bar Association Riel Karmy-Jones KC has already warned that:

“This retrospective move, which contradicts previous statements made by the Government, is like pulling a rug from beneath the feet of those most vulnerable in our justice system.”

She further stated:

“Thousands of people, both accused and victims, were expecting to present their cases at trial to a jury of their peers from their community – people best placed to understand them and their circumstances.”

And she was unequivocal in her conclusion:

“One cannot blame them if many feel betrayed.”

We agree.

For Black communities and other racialised groups who are already disproportionately stopped, charged, remanded and imprisoned, this proposal is not an abstract constitutional debate. It is a real and immediate threat to fairness.

The retrospective element is particularly alarming. Individuals who entered the criminal justice process with the legitimate expectation of a jury trial now face the prospect of having that safeguard removed. That strikes at the heart of public trust. Justice cannot be redefined midway through proceedings without profound consequences.

David Weaver, Chair of Operation Black Vote, said:

“Trial by jury is one of the last democratic protections ordinary citizens have against the overwhelming power of the state. To remove that right retrospectively sends a dangerous message that procedural safeguards are conditional.

Black communities already experience disproportionate policing and charging decisions. Juries bring community experience into the courtroom. They introduce balance and lived reality into a system that too often operates through institutional assumptions.

Concentrating decision-making power in a single judge, particularly in cases involving potential imprisonment, risks compounding racial disparities and undermining confidence in justice.”

Zita Holbourne, Chair of BARAC UK , said:

“This move will disproportionately affect those who already face structural disadvantage. Judges, however conscientious, operate within an institutional culture shaped by daily exposure to police evidence and prosecution narratives.

Juries, drawn from the community, provide a democratic counterweight. They reflect a range of social realities and are not embedded within the machinery of the system.

Retrospective removal of jury trials will deepen mistrust, increase perceptions of injustice, and in our view, risks increasing discrimination in outcomes.”

OBV and BARAC call on the Government to reconsider any retrospective application of judge-only trials and to engage meaningfully with communities most affected by criminal justice reform.

Efficiency cannot come at the cost of equality. Speed cannot replace legitimacy and justice cannot survive without public trust.

Ends

Contact:

David Weaver info@obv.org.uk

Zita Holbourne barac.info@gmail.com