Speeches by Paul.

““the most effective and straightforward way for magistrates’ courts to…assist in reducing the Crown Court backlog”.”

“I thank you for making that point, Ms Jardine. I just emphasise how serious the changes in this legislation are. I know the Opposition are willing to put in the hours that are needed to go through the full detail, so that everyone can say what they need to. I imagine the Government are equally keen to spend the hours r…”

“Cassia Rowland’s analysis suggests the total impact of the Government’s proposals on court demand is likely to be around a 7% to 10% reduction in total courtroom time, with just 1.5% to 2.5% of that coming from the introduction of judge-only trials in the Crown court bench division. The IFG’s later report goes further,…”

“It is only fair to acknowledge that the Magistrates’ Association takes a different view. It supports the extension of magistrates’ sentencing ranges, and says this is”

““there is still a lot of uncertainty attached to the potential benefits of the government’s proposed structural reforms. There is also a serious risk that they could backfire and cause further declines in both productivity and performance.””

“It is a pleasure to start the day with you and end the day with you, Ms Jardine. I am sure you are very much enjoying starting your day with me and ending your day with me, too. [Laughter.] I have just realised how that can be interpreted. My apologies, Ms Jardine; I cannot account for the minds of other Members. To ge…”

“”

“Ministers repeatedly say justice delayed is justice denied—of course it is. But that slogan does not identify the cause of delay, and it does not prove that clause 3 is the right cure. Indeed, Sir Brian Leveson said that the most significant cause is “chronic underfunding”, coupled with “increased complexity” and loss …”

“The reforms come at a time when the magistrates courts are themselves under very visible strain. JUSTICE says that magistrates generally sit for only around 13 full days per year, that cases in the magistrates’ courts have become less complex in recent years, and that the system is not currently set up to absorb a grea…”

“My hon. Friend is making some powerful points. Hearing him read out what the law says brings home to me just how terrible this Bill is. Surely everyone can see that there is no clarity how it would work. Rather than there being any clear guidance, it essentially feels as though any judge can have their own view on comp…”

“Thank you for that, Ms Jardine. I reassure you that I will not be speaking for very much longer, but I will cover the last of what I consider to be the important points. Thank you for your guidance and patience. The Law Society warns that the Bill’s proposals will increase the number of defendants in magistrates courts…”

“Thank you for that guidance, Ms Jardine. I would suggest that the legal aid changes are a really important outcome of clause 6. In fact, I think I would come under huge criticism if I made this speech without mentioning legal aid, because I have not raised it at all—well, I did in an earlier speech. I have not raised i…”

“The Opposition support amendment 51. If the Government insist on retaining clause 4 and schedule 1, then there is a compelling case for removing the power of the Secretary of State to add further offences to the list by regulation. I am particularly concerned by that unconstrained power. If the Government have currentl…”

“Thank you for that guidance, Ms Jardine, but that seems to suggest that we are not allowed ever again in this Bill Committee to bring up the fact that the right to elect for jury trial and rights to legal aid are being removed. Surely we need to be able to talk about that as we go through the Bill.”

“Perhaps I am more optimistic about these things.”

“The Sentencing Act 2026 now allows custodial sentences of up to three years to be suspended, and introduced presumption to suspend short custodial sentences. Those are changes that may well affect plea behaviour, sentencing outcomes and, in due course, trial volumes. They are, however, not obviously incorporated into t…”

“That is soaring language, but the core point could be made more plainly. Clause 3 reduces the direct participation of ordinary citizens in the administration of criminal justice. That is wrong and is corrosive to the standing and administration of that same justice.”

“I will have more to say on new clause 29 later, but the debate around equalities belongs squarely in any discussion of clause 3, too. The Government’s own equalities statement says that in 2022, 26% of black defendants elected for trial in the Crown court, compared with 15% of white defendants, and that in 2021, 20% of…”

““lamp that shows that freedom lives”.”

“The Lammy review found that many individuals from ethnic minorities opted for trial in the Crown court whenever possible, because they had more confidence in juries than in magistrates. It also found that juries, unlike other parts of the system, convicted BAME and white defendants at very similar rates, including with…”