By May 2009, Japan will introduce a lay-judge system in which randomly chosen citizens will sit with professional judges to decide guilt or innocence in criminal trials involving charges such as murder, rape and arson, and then hand down sentences if the accused are found guilty. The aim is to insert the common-sense perspective of ordinary citizens into criminal procedures.
Now the government is considering adding a system in which crime victims and their families could seek compensation from offenders without going to the trouble of filing a civil lawsuit. Under this new system, the same judges who have handled a criminal case could decide how much the convicted defendants should pay.
The Justice Ministry has asked its Legislative Council to discuss the matter and submit a bill to revise the Criminal Procedure Code in the regular Diet session next year. The proposed new system, along with the lay-judge system, represents drastic procedural changes. Heated public discussions are expected with regard to the shape of the ministry's proposal.