GAGGED protesters lined up in front of Truro crown court today to raise awareness of government plans to reduce the number of jury trials.

The group was part of The Jury Alliance, a collective of organisations fighting government goals to bring down a backlog of court cases by reserving trial by jury for the most serious offences. The policy has been debated in Parliament and forms part of the Courts Modernisation Bill that was announced in the King’s Speech on May 13.

Some 38 protesters handed out leaflets in Truro city centre before donning gags and spreading out along Edward Street in front of the crown court building.

“Trial by jury is an 800-year-old right that has been with since it was established in the Magna Carta, but it is about to be removed in most cases,” said protester Oliver Baines.

Former magistrate Deborah Hinton added: “When I was appointed as magistrate and to the parole board, I was given a lecture about the importance of the jury system. It had been responsible for changing legislation – for example, avoiding hanging for theft by refusing to convict. It’s a really important function of juries.”

Lyndon Hughes of Perranporth felt the wide demographic of juries was a crucial factor in the justice process. “I’ve worked in care and have seen a cross-section of society that hasn’t always had the chances in life. Those people need to be heard by a jury that will understand what they’ve been through,” she said.

Many felt the problem lay in the legal system. “Lots of courts are empty every day,” said Nichola Sheriff. “We’re at a point where juries are having to wait because a judge isn’t available, a room has been double-booked or a prisoner can’t be brought to court. The whole system is the problem, not juries.”

Paul Sousek had travelled down from Bude for the event. “Juries are our defence against unfair laws,” he said. “If we can explain to juries the motivations for our actions, there’s a good chance they might look positively and acquit us.”