Lay judges tend to impose tougher sentences than professional judges on defendants who have committed sex crimes or inflicted injuries resulting in death, a comparative study of court rulings before and after the 2009 introduction of citizen judge panels showed Saturday.
Regardless of the nature of the crime, lay judges also handed down more suspended sentences than professional judges, while fewer appeals have been filed against their decisions, the research shows.
The study is based on data compiled by the Supreme Court covering lay judge rulings on 1,646 defendants who were found guilty up to the end of last year, and rulings by professional judges on 2,146 defendants in 2008.