MPs have approved the Government’s Courts and Tribunals Bill at third reading in the House of Commons by 301 votes to 193, following a debate over defendants’ access to jury trials and the growing backlog in criminal courts.
The vote took place on Tuesday 13 October 2026. The Bill has completed its Commons stages but is not yet law; it must proceed through the House of Lords and the remaining parliamentary stages.
What MPs approved
The Bill retains proposals to remove a defendant’s ability to choose Crown Court trial for certain offences that can be tried either in a magistrates’ court or the Crown Court. Instead, the court would decide the appropriate venue, taking account of the parties’ representations. Ministers say this will make better use of court capacity and reduce delays.
It also includes changes to magistrates’ court sentencing powers, provisions concerning judge-only trials in certain complex and lengthy fraud or financial cases, and measures concerning vulnerable witnesses and evidence in sexual offence proceedings.
Government drops broader judge-only trial plan
Ministers confirmed that they would remove clause 3, which had proposed judge-only Crown Court trials for some cases expected to attract prison sentences of less than three years. The Government said it had listened to concerns raised by parliamentarians and the legal profession.
That change means the wider proposal for a new judge-only division of the Crown Court has been withdrawn. It does not mean every disputed provision affecting jury trial access has been removed.
Disagreement over court delays and defendants’ rights
Justice Secretary Alex Norris told MPs that the Crown Court backlog stood at nearly 81,000 cases and argued that investment and modernisation alone would not be enough to reduce delays. Opponents questioned the evidence for the reforms and raised concerns about restricting defendants’ choice of trial venue and whether magistrates’ courts have sufficient capacity.
MPs also considered amendments to the Bill before the third-reading vote. The final Commons division was 301 in favour and 193 against.
What happens next?
The Bill now faces scrutiny in the House of Lords. Its provisions could be amended before the legislation completes Parliament and receives Royal Assent. No change described here should be treated as already in force merely because the Bill passed the Commons.