LONDON (Reuters) ? The UK government said yesterday it plans to allow judges to sit without a jury in complex fraud cases, a move attacked by civil rights campaigners who believe the proposal might set a wider trend of doing away with juries.

The measure was one of 26 bills unveiled in the Queen's Speech to parliament which outlines the government's legislative plans for the coming year.

"A bill will be introduced to provide for trials without a jury in serious fraud cases," the Queen said.

Under the plans, the prosecution would have to apply to a High Court judge for approval to have a trial without a jury.

This would also need the go-ahead from the Lord Chief Justice.

A provision had been made for fraud trials to go ahead without a jury in the Criminal Justice Act 2003 but this needed the consent of both the House of Commons and the Lords.

It was never implemented as the Lords indicated they would reject the proposal.

The new bill would remove this requirement and the government could force it through parliament if necessary.

"The Fraud (trials without jury) Bill would help prevent evasion of justice in the most serious and complex fraud cases by ensuring that criminality is exposed," the government said in a statement.

In June last year, Attorney General Lord Goldsmith said the change in the law was needed to reduce the risk of expensive and long fraud trials collapsing because they were too complicated.

"In spite of efforts to keep complex trials within reasonable bounds, some drag on for months, which poses an intolerable burden on jurors," he said.

From 2002-5 there were 26 fraud trials that lasted for more than six months, with eight lasting for over a year.

One fraud case which cost some ?60 million and lasted 21 months collapsed at London's Old Bailey in 2005 after jurors and members of the defence repeatedly needed time off.

Civil rights group Liberty said the onus should be on prosecutors to put complex cases in a way that juries could understand.

They warned that the measure, if passed, could be applied to other trials, saying the government had repeatedly brought in new powers and then expanded them into other areas.

"It shows the incredible determination of the government to do away with trial by jury," a spokesman said.

"If you asked people what one of the most pressing criminal justice problems was I would be surprised if anyone said the need to remove jury trial in fraud cases."