Law Commons^™

Judicial Recusation In The Federal Republic Of Germany, Sigmund A. Cohn

Georgia Journal of International & Comparative Law

No abstract provided.

Retention And Reform In Japanese Capital Punishment, David T. Johnson

University of Michigan Journal of Law Reform

This Article focuses on the failure of abolition and of death penalty reform in Japan in order to illustrate contingencies in the trajectory of capital punishment in the modern world. Part I describes three facts about postwar Japan that help explain why it retains capital punishment today: a missed opportunity for abolition during the American occupation of the country after World War II; the long-term rule of a conservative political party; and economic and geopolitical power that has enabled the country to resist the influence of international norms. Part II describes a few ways in which Japanese capital punishment has …

Ears Of The Deaf: The Theory And Reality Of Lay Judges In Mixed Tribunals, Sanja Kutnjak Ivković

Chicago-Kent Law Review

This paper explores mixed tribunals, a unique form of lay participation in which lay and professional judges make legal decisions jointly. A short overview of different types and sizes of mixed tribunals around the world will be discussed first. Then, the paper will elaborate on the theoretical arguments that hypothesize about the nature and extent of interaction in mixed tribunals. These theoretical arguments, developed using the status characteristics theory, will be assessed using the evidence obtained in empirical studies of mixed tribunals. In addition, the paper will discuss other potential challenges faced by mixed tribunals. In the end, the paper …

The French Jury At A Crossroads, Valerie P. Hans, Claire M. Germain

Chicago-Kent Law Review

Since its inception, the French jury system has generated controversy and passionate argument. The jury originated at the time of the French Revolution as a potent symbol of democratic self-governance. Alternately praised and attacked by successive governments over two centuries, the jury became entrenched in the French justice system and in the French mind. Yet, in recent years, the French jury's future has become the subject of intense political debate. This article provides an overview of historical changes to the French jury system, describing how it was transformed from an independent body of lay citizens into a mixed decisionmaking body …

Silent Lay Judges—Why Their Influence In The Community Falls Short Of Expectations, Stefan Machura

Chicago-Kent Law Review

Lay judges in Germany serving at mixed courts are ascribed an "education function," and they should communicate their experience. Data from surveys of German lay assessors are used to investigate this claim. The results are likely to apply to other countries which employ mixed courts. While many lay judges talk about their experience with their families—partly to ease their minds—they are more reluctant to tell colleagues and friends. For a start, many lay judges are no longer part of the work force because they are older in age, and therefore, have a limited number of contacts. Lay judges serving at …

Testing Japan's Convictions: The Lay Judge System And The Rights Of Criminal Defendants, Arne F. Soldwedel

Vanderbilt Journal of Transnational Law

Japan has endured considerable international and domestic criticism over the way its criminal justice system treats criminal defendants. The system shows little regard for defendants' constitutional rights, and media reports about forced confessions and wrongful convictions are creating grassroots pressures to uphold the right to counsel, the right to silence, and the presumption of innocence.

Japan has begun to reform its legal system in order to increase public participation in government, and to create more public trust in the justice system. To achieve these aims, Japan will reintroduce jury trials in May of 2009. However, current Japanese justice reforms ignore …

Exploring Lay Participation In Legal Decision-Making: Lessons From Mixed Tribunals, Sanja Kutnjak Ivkovic

Cornell International Law Journal

No abstract provided.

The Internationalization Of Lay Legal Decision-Making: Jury Resurgence And Jury Research, Richard O. Lempert

Cornell International Law Journal

No abstract provided.