Legislators in the House of Lords have rejected government proposals to limit the right to trial by jury, in another demonstration of the bizarre nature of Britain’s democracy. The proposals contained in the criminal justice bill had been agreed by a majority of the democratic legislators in the House of Commons, who are rarely willing to stand up to their party leaders on behalf of the people.
Conservative party shadow Home Secretary Oliver Letwin described the vote as a blow “in defence of individual liberty.” His party’s legislators in the House of Lords have a long history of resisting democratic reform of the legislature.