A former lay judge is suing the government for ¥2 million in compensation, claiming she was hit by an acute stress disorder after being exposed to graphic evidence at a murder trial.
Hifumi Aoki, 63, from Koriyama, Fukushima Prefecture, who served in March in a burglary and murder case, is believed to be the first former lay judge to file suit against the government over the system, which debuted in 2009.
The government argued that the system is reasonable because it allows public participation in the judicial process, adding that those summoned to be lay judges can ask to be excused.