Matt Foot

Publication day Charged - How the Police Try to Suppress Protest. @VersoBooks by myself and @moraglivingst versobooks.com/books/3977-cha…

“I put him to bed with paracetamol and Nurofen and I went in in the morning and he was dead - it was that quick.” Author and poet Michael Rosen remembers the sudden death of his late son Eddie to Meningitis C in 1999. #Newsnight

Excl: Leading barrister quits legal services watchdog in protest at David Lammy's "tyrannical" jury reforms. Flora Page KC, widely praised for her role helping sub-postmasters to overturn their wrongful convictions, has written a brutal letter to Lammy: thetimes.com/uk/law/article…

Of course scrapping jury trials will make existing racism even worse in the judicial system. The Lord Chancellor knows this, because he has previously written and spoken on it. Lammy defends scrapping juries against claims of worsening racial bias theguardian.com/politics/live/…

Yesterday Labour MPs voted to restrict the right to trial by jury to be replaced by judge only trials. A shameful act to destroy democracy. There is no trusted evidence to support the claim that this would reduce courts backlog. This plan must not go ahead #NoJusticeNoPeace

Labour MPs, whipped by the Prime Minister, have tonight voted to undermine and restrict a fundamental cornerstone of our democracy - the right to trial by jury. It’s a shameful act of constitutional vandalism which the PM has no mandate for. His government has not produced a shred of credible evidence to support its claim it’s needed to reduce the courts backlog - in fact the Institute for Government has found the plan to replace jury trials with judge-only trials would save less than 2% of total Crown Court time. There is still time to stop this. The battle is just beginning

Labour's attempt to remove our right to a jury trial in thousands of cases - including protest related offences - is a serious attack on our civil liberties. That's why the Green MPs have tabled an amendment to reject it. The Green Party says no to Labour's toolkit for tyrants.

“We’ve heard from the charity APPEAL in the last few hours who argue more cases being heard by just a judge will increase the number of miscarriages of justice because judges tend to be privately educated and white”

These MPs Voting to end 1000 years of a person’s right to trial by jury. Jack Abbott Zubir Ahmed Luke Akehurst Sadik Al-Hassan Bayo Alaba Dan Aldridge Heidi Alexander Douglas Alexander Rushanara Ali Callum Anderson Scott Arthur James Asser Jas Athwal Catherine Atkinson Lewis Atkinson Calvin Bailey Olivia Bailey Alex Baker Alex Ballinger Antonia Bance Lee Barron Alex Curtis Johanna Baxter Danny Beales Torsten Bell Hilary Benn Polly Billington Matt Bishop Olivia Blake Rachel Blake Elsie Blundell Kevin Bonavia Jade Botterill Sureena Brackenridge Phil Brickell Chris Bryant Julia Buckley David Sampson Ruth Cadbury Nesil Caliskan MarkusSavours Irene Campbell Juliet Campbell Sam Carling Al Carns Bambos Charalambous Luke Charters Feryal Clark Jacob Collier Lizzi Collinge Tom Collins Liam Conlon Sarah Coombes Andrew Cooper Deirdre Costigan Pam Cox Jen Craft Mary Creagh Torcuil Crichton Chris Curtis Janet Daby Ashley Dalton Emily Darlington Jonathan Davies Paul Davies Shaun Davies Josh Dean Kate Dearden Tanmanjeet Dhesi Jim Dickson Anna Dixon Samantha Dixon Anneliese Dodds Helena Dollimore Stephen Doughty Graeme Downie Angela Eagle Maria Eagle Lauren Edwards Sarah Edwards Damien Egan Maya Ellis Kirith Entwistle Chris Evans Miatta Fahnbulleh Hamish Falconer Linsey Farnsworth Josh Glynn Mark Ferguson Natalie Fleet Emma Foody Catherine Fookes Paul Foster Vicky Foxcroft Daniel Francis James Frith Allison Gardner Anna Gelderd Alan Gemmell Gill German Tracy Gilbert Preet Gill Becky Gittins Mary Glindon Ben Goldsborough Jodie Gosling John Grady Lilian Greenwood Nia Griffith Amanda Hack Louise Haigh Fabian Hamilton Paulette Hamilton Carolyn Harris Lloyd Hatton Tom Hayes Claire Hazelgrove Meg Hillier Jonathan Hinder Sharon Hodgson Rachel Hopkins Claire Hughes Alison Hume Dr Rupa Huq Natasha Irons Sally Jameson Dan Jarvis Terry Jermy Adam Jogee Diana Johnson Darren Jones Gerald Jones Ruth Jones Sarah Jones Gurinder Josan Sojan Joseph Warinder Juss Chris Kane Mike Kane Satvir Kaur Liz Kendall Afzal Khan Naushabah Khan Stephen Kinnock Jayne Kirkham Gen Kitchen Sonia Kumar Peter Kyle Laura Smith Peter Lamb David Lammy Noah Law Kim Leadbeater Andrew Lewin Simon Lightwood Josh MacAlister Alice Macdonald Justin Madders Shabana Mahmood Seema Malhotra Amanda Martin Keir Mather Alex Mayer Douglas McAllister Kerry McCarthy Siobhain McDonagh Chris McDonald Blair McDougall Lola McEvoy Pat McFadden Alison McGovern Alex McIntyre Gordon McKee Kevin McKenna Jim McMahon Anna McMorrin Ed Miliband Julie Minns Perran Moon Jessica Morden Joe Morris Margaret Mullane Luke Murphy Chris Murray Ian Murray James Murray Katrina Murray Luke Myer James Naish Lisa Nandy Kanishka Narayan Pamela Nash Josh Newbury Samantha Niblett Alex Norris Melanie Onn Abena Asare Tristan Osborne Taiwo Owatemi Sarah Owen Darren Paffey Michael Payne Jon Pearce Matthew Pennycook Toby Perkins Jess Phillips Bridget Phillipson David Duschinsky Lee Pitcher Jo Platt Luke Pollard Joe Powell Lucy Powell Gregor Poynton Peter Prinsley Richard Quigley Steve Race Connor Rand Andrew Ranger Angela Rayner Mike Reader Ellie Reeves Rachel Reeves Emma Reynolds Jonathan Reynolds Martin Rhodes Jake Richards Jenny Carpenter Lucy Rigby Marie Rimmer Dave Robertson Tim Roca Matt Rodda Sarah Russell Tom Rutland Oliver Ryan Sarah Sackman Louise Jones Jeevun Sandher Michelle Scrogham Mark Sewards Naz Shah Baggy Shanker Michael Shanks Tulip Siddiq Josh Simons Andy Slaughter John Slinger Cat Smith Nick Smith Sarah Smith Karin Smyth Gareth Snell Euan Stainbank Keir Starmer Jo Stevens Kenneth Stevenson Will Stone Alistair Strathern Wes Streeting Alan Strickland Lauren Sullivan Peter Swallow Sir Mark Tami Mike Tapp Alison Taylor Rachel Taylor Nick Symonds Fred Thomas Gareth Thomas Adam Thompson Marie Tidball Sir Stephen Timms Jessica Toale Dan Tomlinson Henry Tufnell Anna Turley Matt Turmaine Laurence Turner Derek Twigg Liz Twist Harpreet Uppal Tony Vaughan Chris Vince Christian Wakeford Chris Ward Melanie Ward Paul Waugh

Justice needs Juries If this legislation is passed don’t dare to be falsely accused , don’t dare to be innocent , don’t dare to be too poor to pay for your own defence . Please listen to our members lobbying MPs today . #saveourjuries

ORGREAVE JUSTICE MUST BE DONE AND SEEN TO BE DONE The inquiry should focus on the conduct of the police. The police should not investigate themselves. The inquiry panel must be worthy of conducting this important inquiry. Statement here: otjc.org.uk/orgreave-justi…

I’ve written to every Member of Parliament today. Proposals before Parliament would remove jury trials from offences carrying up to three years in prison. Freedoms rarely vanish overnight. They are chipped away in the name of efficiency. Juries did not cause the crisis in our courts. Removing them will not fix it. When the state seeks to take someone’s liberty for serious offences, the judgment of ordinary citizens should never be optional. This is close to becoming law. Please read the letter. Contact your MP now.

RIP my Daily David Lammy tweet. Unlimited sitting days in the Crown Court is necessary, welcome, overdue… and obvious. But wise up. Don’t let this well-timed concession outweigh the weight of today: They want to restrict your current right to jury trial. And we can stop them.

Tackling the courts' backlog should be the alternative to abolishing jusy trials. It should not be used to facilitate it. Lammy lifts cap on court sitting days to tackle backlog of cases theguardian.com/law/2026/feb/2…

Whips will do what whips have to do. I’m off the whip right now because I’m up in Hull with my daughter recovering from major reconstructive hip surgery. I shall be there though. No matter what. The rebellion on the Labour backbenches is strong.

Justice delayed is justice denied, but summary justice is no justice at all. x.com/DavidLammy/sta… Creating “a new Judge-only Bench Division in the Crown Court” rips the public out of the jury box and hands more power to the state. Scrapping juries for serious cases is not reform, it is an attack on a cornerstone of British liberty. Lammy is risking more miscarriages of justice, less public confidence, and a justice system run for Whitehall’s convenience, not the British people.

Doing away with jury trials in serious criminal cases is nowt to be proud of, Mary. And not we stood on a manifesto to do. Unworkable. Unjust. Unpopular.

There we have it. If whips think this rebellion that’s about to come is about some PLP members being cheesed off at the government they have it wrong. We will NOT allow this government or any government of any political persuasion to do away with the right to a trail by jury.

Please watch my latest film @BBCPanorama Framed For Murder? @BBCiPlayer now

Matt Foot, Co‑Director of APPEAL, has written an open letter to Prime Minister Keir Starmer, questioning his support for restricting jury trials and reminding him of his earlier defence of jury rights. Read here: appeal.org.uk/from-one-lawye…

Barristers, solicitors, retired judges, and other legal professionals - add your name to our open letter to the Prime Minister to oppose the government's plan to restrict jury trials. Sign your name ➡️ bit.ly/4kMn9DX The letter outlines our opposition to the plans and calls for greater investment and focus on the measures we know will make a difference now, including many of the ideas outlined in Part 2 of Sir Brian Leveson’s review. The letter is supported by the Criminal Bar Association and all 6 circuit leaders. Thank you for your support. #JusticeNeedsJuries