Black and Asian defendants stand more chance of a fair trial at Crown Court, a Bradford solicitor claimed today.

Ray Singh, of Manningham Lane firm Bassra Solicitors, said he believed they received fairer treatment from a jury than at magistrates' court.

His comments follow criticism of Home Secretary Jack Straw's idea to limit the right of trial by jury. Civil liberties and campaigning groups and the Bar Council say the move would hit black defendants hardest.

Leading black QC Courtenay Griffiths said such a move would undermine efforts to improve "the badly dented relationship" of blacks with the criminal justice system.

Mr Singh described Mr Griffiths's comments as "spot on".

"If you are Asian or black and have an option of having your case heard either by magistrates or by a jury, my advice 99 per cent of the time is to go for a jury," he said.

"You get a better and fairer hearing by a jury. You are treated by your peers, by the common person who perhaps doesn't have you stereotyped or have you coming before the system on a day-to-day basis at magistrates' court."

Mr Singh also said he believed sentencing at Crown Court was probably more lenient for black and Asian people.

"I don't know why, it may be the constitutional make-up of magistrates, white middle to upper-class people."

Barry Malik, a Bradford magistrate for 13 years, said: "My feeling is that Bradford magistrates don't look at the colour of the person or their gender or their profession. We just look at the crime and punish people according to that."

He said special efforts were being made in Bradford to recruit from the ethnic minorities to make sure the bench was well-balanced.

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