Our "ancient traditions" do not incorporate human rights as such. Just a limited concept of habeas corpus, trial by peers, and protection against the monarch. (A brief history of this is linked to below, if you're interested).
Quite clearly then, "ancient tradition" cannot replace codified law.
And I'm absolutely not in favour of removing the right to trial by jury, by the way.
If you support me in that, then the first step is obviously to unwind the huge underfunding of the justice system by successive governments, not least of which were the previous lot of course.