UK Law Articles
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The Times
February 18 2000
Commons motion
MPs rebel on jury reform
BY MELISSA KITE
JACK STRAW'S plans to restrict the right to trial by jury were dealt a further blow yesterday when 50 Labour MPs called for them to be postponed (Roland Watson writes). The group, embracing all shades of opinion, threatens further embarrassment for the Home Secretary who has already seen his proposals thrown out by the Lords.
The 50 MPs call for the issue to be included in the review of criminal justice currently being carried out by Lord Justice Auld, thereby delaying it to the next parliamentary session.
Ministers are determined to press ahead with the Bill, reintroducing it in the Commons in the coming weeks and forcing it into statute. However, the threat of such sizeable opposition among Labour's own MPs is a warning to ministers that they are unlikely to have a clear run through the Commons.
The motion contains a number of serial rebels, but also includes loyalist figures such as Mark Fisher, the former Culture Minister.
