David Lammy, Britain’s current deputy prime minister, pictured March 2019 in London. Jury trials in Britain are set to see major reforms over the coming months and years, but critics say it doesn’t address the problem of court case backlogs. File Photo by Hugo Philpott/UPI | License Photo

Dec. 2 (UPI) — British Justice Secretary David Lammy on Tuesday announced that trials in cases likely to carry sentences of fewer than three years in Britain and Wales will not go before a jury.

Lammy, also the deputy prime minister, announced the court reforms that would see the creation of “swift courts” to have judges and magistrates handle such cases, while trials involving more serious crimes such as murder, robbery and rape will still be tried by jury.

On Tuesday, Britain’s Labor government claimed the government’s new system would process cases a fifth faster than trials empaneled by a jury.

“Victims have waited long enough,” Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy posted on X.

The reform to Britain’s jury mechanism removes a defendant’s legal right to request a jury trial in cases able to be judged by a magistrate in its new judge-only process.

“We are taking the bold decisions needed to fix the emergency in our courts and secure swifter justice for victims,” he stated.

According to Lammy, the legal changes were expected to be permanent.

In June, Britain’s attorney general unveiled plans to abolish juries in favor of judges for complex and expensive fraud trials.

The British Justice Ministry called Tuesday’s revelation a “bold reform” and claimed it puts victims “front and center” of the the country’s justice system.

Lammy said Britain’s Crown Court projects a case load extending 100,000 in the next three years with a current backlog nearing 80,000 pending court trials.

On Tuesday, Lammy — also British justice secretary — revealed that reforms will arrive with a more than $725 investment in “specialist victim support.” Lammy claimed it’s the “biggest funding package ever” for such systemic legal changes.

“From counseling to court advice, this lifeline will help survivors see cases through, get convictions, and put dangerous criminals behind bars,” he wrote on social media.