Description

Since 2008, Korea initiated the jury trial at the severe criminal cases. It is a pivotal experiment in a country where the criminal trial had been monopolized by professional judges. It is regarded as one of the most important accomplishment among a set of judicial reform project, in parallel with the introduction of law school system. The jury trials have been successfully rooted during 5 years. Lawyers become more skilled, and citizens are realizing the value of lay participation at the judicial field. Now, the legislative is drafting the revision of jury law which intends to widen the applicable cases of jury trial, and to strengthen the binding effect of jury verdict.

Korea is not the unique country who initiated citizen participation in East Asia. Since 2009, Japan started a Japanese mixed trial called saibanin system, instead of jury trial which had already been used during the pre-war Japan. It’s interesting to compare Korean model to Japanese model. Such an comparison might invite people to alive talks about civil participation in the judicial field.

About The Speaker

Professor In Sup Han is a Professor of Law, Seoul National University in Korea. He teaches criminal law, criminology, and human rights. His special field lies at the judicial reforms in the criminal justice field. He has been involved in the making of law school system, the sentencing guideline and no-death penalty policy. At NUS, he is reviewing the jury trial system since the year 2008 in Korea, and comparing the Korean experience to that of Japan and other countries.