The Japanese lay judge system, which started in 2009, has revolutionized the criminal justice system in the country. However, as the results of excessive emphasis placed on citizen judges during the following ten years, understandability has been prioritized over correctness in both trials and psychiatric evaluation, and the most important function, or duty, of the judicial system to pursue the truth is being impaired.
Author's abstract
The Merits and Demerits of the Japanese Lay Judge System
Department of Neuropsychiatry, Keio University School of Medicine
Psychiatria et Neurologia Japonica
123: 32-37, 2021
<Keywords:citizen judges, psychiatric evaluation, criminal responsibility>