Ben Habib warns of Britain's criminal justice system being 'dumbed down' amid calls to scrap jury trials: 'Not a good idea!'

The prominent political figure drew from his personal experience as a former juror to argue against the suggested reforms.

He insisted that having a diverse group of people examining a case was far more effective than relying on the judgment of a single person on the bench.

"Jury trials are really important," Habib emphasised, expressing his firm opposition to any attempts to alter this cornerstone of British justice.

Habib drew upon his firsthand experience to make a compelling case for maintaining jury trials.

"When you get a cross-section of people looking at a particular case, they are much, much more likely to come to the right answer than an individual sitting on a bench," he explained during his GB News appearance.

His argument centred on the collective wisdom that comes from having multiple perspectives examine a case.

Habib referenced a recent case involving Levi Fishlock and a migrant hotel in Rotherham.

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He expressed concern about the judge's handling of the case, particularly regarding their focus on racism.

"I heard the judge talk about this man's racism, and I was thinking to myself, his racism is not the relevant issue right now," Habib stated.

He suggested the judge had become "clearly hijacked by the whole kind of racist, anti-immigrant debate thing".

In contrast, Habib argued that a jury would provide a more balanced perspective.

"If you have a jury looking at it collectively, they're much more likely to come to a dispassionate, clear-minded, sensible solution," he said.

Habib concluded his argument by highlighting alarming statistics about the current state of the justice system. "As it is, only 2 per cent of serious crimes result in a conviction," he revealed during the interview.

He emphasised the gravity of this figure, urging viewers to "get that in your head: Only 2 per cent of serious crimes result in a conviction."

He argued that juries are "much, much more robust at getting to the right answer".

Removing this crucial element, Habib concluded, would represent yet another step towards "the hollowing out of our criminal justice system".