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Leveson Report Part I: radical England and Wales criminal court reforms - jury curbs, magistrates’ expansion, CCBD, judge-only fraud trials, faster investigations and early resolution

Published on: 28 July 2025

Published by a LexisNexis Corporate Crime expert
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Article summary

What is the background of this report?

In December 2024, Sir Brian Leveson was commissioned to develop options and recommendations on reforming the criminal courts so that cases are handled proportionately in light of current Crown Court pressures, and on ensuring they operate as efficiently as possible. This Part I focuses on the former and puts forward a radical suite of reforms.

What are the key findings of this report?

The report opens with the stark assessment that criminal justice is in crisis, driven by prolonged funding constraints and the mounting complexity of criminal law—both procedural demands and the disclosure difficulties arising from new forms of evidence. It notes the rapid growth since 2019 in cases entering the Crown Court, alongside further delays brought about by coronavirus (COVID-19). Its clear conclusion is that only a radical and essential package of measures, implemented as a coherent whole rather than as a pick-and-mix of options, can prevent the system from collapsing.

What are the main recommendations of the report?

It advances a radical, essential package of reforms addressing proportionality in case handling, with an explicit warning that the measures must be implemented together and not selected on a pick-and-mix basis...

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