September 15, 2025
In our latest edition of FOCUS, retired judge Geoffrey Rivlin KC offers a compelling critique of Sir Brian Leveson’s proposal to abolish jury trials in serious and complex fraud cases, as set out in Part 1 of the Review of the Criminal Courts.
Drawing on decades of experience—including his time as Resident Judge at Southwark Crown Court—Geoffrey Rivlin KC raises both principled and practical objections. He questions the assumption that judges sitting alone can deliver more efficient justice, warning that the proposals, vague in definition and lacking workable solutions, could ultimately do more harm than good.
We hope that this edition of FOCUS will make an important contribution to the debate. Politicians will need to consider carefully the genuine concerns of experienced judges and practitioners before deciding whether to implement these Leveson Review proposals.
Read the article in the latest edition of FOCUS here: [FOCUS]
Editor of Focus: Ed Vickers KC
Editor of Red Lion Chambers Fraud Newsletter: Faras Baloch
Assistant editors: Anita Clifford and Katie Bacon