Jury trials for crimes that carry a probable sentence of less than three years will be eliminated, the Secretary of Justice announced.
The reforms to the judicial system are part of the government’s plan to address unprecedented delays in the judicial system.
Serious crimes, including murder, robbery and rape, will still go before a jury.
Crucially, volunteer community magistrates, who deal with the majority of criminal cases, will take on even more work.
An earlier version of the plan, leaked to the BBC and the Times last week, called for ending jury trials for most crimes that carried sentences of up to five years.
But announcing the reforms in the House of Commons on Tuesday, David Lammy has backed away from the most radical proposals.
Lammy said the new system would see cases dealt with a fifth faster than jury trials.
He added that it was necessary as current projections indicate that the number of cases will reach 100,000 by 2028.
