Julie-Anne Kincade: Law Association Vice-President on the Government's proposal to change the threshold for jury trials
The Law Association says changing the threshold for the right to a jury trial doesn't make sense. Currently a defendant can choose between a jury or a judge-alone trial in cases where the maximum penalty is two or more years in jail. The Government's seeking feedback on increasing this to three, five, or seven years, saying jury trials drive court delays. Law Association Vice-President Julie-Anne Kincade told Mike Hosking that right now in Auckland District Court you'll get a jury-trial faster than a judge alone trial. She says they need to be careful about using a blunt tool to try solve the problem. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.