An earlier experience of lay involvement in court decisions in Japan - the Jury 1928-1943 and its legacy

WATSON, Andrew (2015). An earlier experience of lay involvement in court decisions in Japan - the Jury 1928-1943 and its legacy. In: AN EARLIER EXPERIENCE OF LAY INVOLVEMENT IN COURT DECISIONS IN JAPAN – THE JURY 1928 –1943 AND ITS LEGACY., Institute of Advanced Legal Education, 4th December,2015..

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Abstract

Lay judge, or “saiban-in” , courts try serious cases in Japan . Sitting together, professional judges and lay judges decide guilt and sentence. Resembling Anglo -American jurors, and unlike lay judges elsewhere, saiban-in are selected at random and sit in only one case. Dissimilar to mixed tribunals in some countries, where they cannot, or do not in practice, Japanese lay judges question witnesses directly, giving them a more active role in fact finding than jurors. Before their inception, in May, 2009, ordinary citizens’ participation in the criminal justice system was very limited . A criminal jury system did exist from 1928 to 1943. It was not, however, a success. This presentation tells of the creation of the jury system in the 1920s and examines reasons for its failure including the law itself, opposition by the judiciary, cultural elements (taken by some to confirm under no circumstances could jury trial work in Japan) and political factors such as descent into authoritarianism, militarism and war.

Item Type: Conference or Workshop Item (Paper)
Research Institute, Centre or Group - Does NOT include content added after October 2018: Law Research Group
Depositing User: Andrew Watson
Date Deposited: 15 Jan 2018 17:01
Last Modified: 18 Mar 2021 16:31
URI: https://shura.shu.ac.uk/id/eprint/17813

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