Victims will be put "front and centre" in reforms to be announced this week, the justice secretary has said, amid reports jury trials will be scrapped in some cases.

Sky News understands ministers have already been briefed on the changes , which would see a judge decide most cases on their own except for murder, rape or manslaughter - or those in the "public interest".

The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) said the reforms would speed up justice and save victims from "years of torment and delay".

Nearly 80,000 cases are currently waiting to be heard in crown courts, but a bid to limit the right to jury trial is likely to be divisive.

Shadow justice secretary Robert Jenrick said Mr Lammy should "pull his finger out" to cut the backlog rather than "depriving British citizens of ancie

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