By Michael Cross and Monidipa Fouzder

(24 July 2026)

The new lord chancellor and justice secretary had barely got his feet under his desk before being embroiled in a row over early prison releases. Alex Norris MP was told by the prime minister yesterday to pause the scheme designed to address prison overcrowding ‘until we have conducted an urgent review and done everything we can to minimise risk to the public’.

The prisons minister responsible for the policy, Lord Timpson (James Timpson), resigned from the government on Monday, ahead of Andy Burnham becoming prime minister. 

Another key issue for Norris will be the curbs on jury trials planned by predecessor David Lammy. In a statement shortly after taking up the justice brief, Norris said his priorities would be to deliver swifter justice and safer communities.

‘That means we must reduce the court backlog so that victims see justice more quickly, while playing our full part in tackling violence against women and girls. We must also restore confidence in our prisons and probation system, so that there is always space for the most dangerous offenders and the public is protected from harm.’

Law Society president Mark Evans said any efforts to reduce court backlogs ‘must not come at the expense of fundamental safeguards. Jury trials must be protected to ensure public confidence in our justice system’. 

Last December, Norris, then a Home Office minister, defended Lammy’s plans. In a newsletter article he accused critics of making ‘exaggerated claims’ about the reforms. ‘In reality, only 3% of trials that take place in Britain are heard by juries – these proposed changes wouldn’t even reduce that number to 2%,’ he wrote. ‘We cannot allow squeamishness about reforming the system to stand in the way of… justice.’ 

Sceptics about the need to curb jury trials may have an ally in the new solicitor general, Andy Slaughter MP. As chair of the Commons justice committee, Slaughter last year called on Lammy to produce ‘clear evidence’ on why curbs on jury trials are necessary ‘and why that does not offend our system of justice, of which we are all still very proud’.

(Courtesy: The Law Society Gazette)