Fraud trial juries in question once more after Jubilee line case collapses

The question of whether jury trials for fraud in England and Wales should continue is once again in the spotlight following the collapse of a corruption case linked to the Jubilee tube line extension after nearly two years in court. Two businessmen were accused of bribing London Underground employees in order to gain access to confidential information for commercial advantage in tenders to take the line through to the Millennium Dome, a project which spiralled in cost to UK£3.3 billion. Six of the seven on trial were formally acquitted on 22 March; one has pleaded guilty.