In episode four of the Law for Lawmakers podcast, Karl Turner MP discusses the role of Parliament in scrutinising legislation, drawing on his experiences opposing the government’s plans to restrict jury trials.  

Turner, who represents Kingston upon Hull East, has been one of the most outspoken critics of the Courts and Tribunals Bill over recent months.  

Reflecting on his role in Parliament, he stresses the importance of MPs and peers having adequate time to scrutinise legislation in detail. This process exposes flaws in new legislation while they can still be addressed, he says, which is crucial since laws are rarely repealed, making their consequences long-lasting.  

He argues that the House of Lords’ un-elected nature frees it to prioritise expertise over politics. “It's a safeguard for policies which are not thought through,” he tells Fiona Rutherford, and suggests that peers could block the Courts and Tribunals Bill.  

Addressing jury reform, Turner describes the government’s plans as “utterly despicable”. He draws a contrast with the Prime Minister’s concerns earlier in his career about judge-only courts in Northern Ireland.  

Turner criticises the government for failing to provide evidence for its claim that jury trials contribute towards court backlogs. Trial delays are instead the result of chronic underinvestment in the justice system, he argues, with jury reforms representing another “money saving exercise.”  

Turner grounds his opposition to jury reform in personal experience, recounting how he was falsely accused of handling stolen goods while working as an antiques dealer in the early 2000s.  

The case collapsed, but the judge said there was “no smoke without fire”, according to Turner. This suggested to Turner that the judge would have convicted him if they were sitting alone, without the “incredibly important filter” of a jury, he said.  

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