New Clause 1
Fraud (Trials Without a Jury) Bill
5:45 pm
Mike O'Brien (Solicitor General, Law Officers' Department; North Warwickshire, Labour)
I have in my hand the original clause that the Government included in the 2003 Bill. At that stage, it was our intention that there should be an ability for the defendant to waive jury trial. In that case, we also provided for defendants taking different views by giving a veto to a defendant. I am curious, because the Conservatives strongly opposed the provisions at that time and it seems that they nowtake a somewhat different view, as do the Liberal Democrats. Can the hon. Gentleman say whether, if we introduced a provision such as this, which we had not intended to do, the Conservatives—and, perhaps, the Liberal Democrats—would be disposed to support it?I might well be disposed to give it serious consideration.