Two mistakenly released prisoners still at large, says justice secretary

Justice Secretary David Lammy has announced plans to eliminate jury trials for cases where sentences are likely to be less than three years, a move that has sparked significant debate regarding the judicial process in England and Wales. This decision comes amid ongoing discussions about the efficiency of the legal system and the role of jury trials in less serious offenses.

David Lammy, the Deputy Prime Minister and Justice Secretary, has recounted his traumatic experiences of racial abuse during his youth, urging Nigel Farage to apologize for alleged racist comments made during their school years. This follows testimonies from over 20 former classmates of Farage, who have accused him of exhibiting racist and antisemitic behavior at Dulwich College.

Twelve prisoners in England and Wales were mistakenly released from custody in the past month, as confirmed by Justice Secretary David Lammy. This brings the total number of such incidents to twelve, with two of the released individuals still at large. Lammy stated that despite these occurrences, the overall trend of errors in prisoner releases is declining due to system improvements.

Justice Secretary David Lammy is expected to revise his proposal to eliminate jury trials for all but the most serious offenses, such as murder, manslaughter, and rape, following feedback from the cabinet. He indicated a preference for adhering to a recommendation by Sir Brian Leveson, which suggests that offenses likely to result in a sentence of three years or less should be handled by magistrates' courts.

Justice Secretary David Lammy has announced a significant overhaul of the justice system, aiming to prioritize victims in the legal process. This reform includes proposals to eliminate jury trials for certain cases, focusing on streamlining the judicial process.