Law Commons^™

The Separation Of Questions Of Law And Fact In The New Russian And Spanish Jury Verdicts, Stephen C. Thaman

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This article discusses the division of labor between the judge and the jury in rendering judgment, and the separation of law and fact historically and currently, focusing on Spain and Russia. Both Russia and Spain rejected the Anglo-American general verdict of “guilty” or “not-guilty” in favor of a list of questions or propositions presented to the jury during their criminal procedure reforms of the 1990’s. This article also delves into the jury deliberation, verdict, and judgment process of the two countries.

The Jury Returns To Continental Europe: Russia And Spain Return To The Classic Jury As A Catalyst In A Move To A More Adversary Form Of Criminal Trial, Stephen C. Thaman

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This paper briefly compares the provisions of the Russian Jury Law of 1993 and the Spanish Jury Law of 1995 and their application in the first trials, with special attention to the effect of the re-injection of a classic jury. Citations in regard to Russia rely on the author’s exhaustive study of the legislative history of the new Russian Jury Law, its provisions, and its application in the first 114 trials in the years 1993-1994. The Spanish discussion relies on information gathered by the author on the first trials held in Spain since the law went into effect, and delves …

Spain Returns To Trial By Jury, Stephen C. Thaman

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In 1995, the Spanish Parliament reenacted trial by jury in criminal cases by implementing a mandate of the 1978 post Franco Spanish Constitution. This article discusses the 17 year dispute, following the ratification of the democratic post-Franco Spanish Constitution, on whether Article 25 mandated the reintroduction of lay participation in the criminal trial, and, if so, whether in the form of the classic jury or a continental European style court with lay assessors. This article analyzes the Law on Trial by Jury and its implementation in the first year of trials, and references Spain’s experience with trial by jury in …

The Jury As Catalyst For The Reform Of Criminal Evidentiary Procedure In Continental Europe: The Cases Of Russia And Spain, Stephen C. Thaman

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This paper focuses on the dialectic between the search for truth, adversarial procedure, and lay participation in the preparation, presentation, and evaluation of evidence in criminal trials. Its primary focus is on the reintroduction of trial by jury in two classic inquisitorial criminal justice systems, Russia (1993) and Spain (1995), as a catalyst in those countries’ move to adversary procedure. It focuses on the effect of the jury system on preparing evidence for trial, the presentation of evidence at trial, and the evaluation of evidence.

Waiting For The Verdict On Spain's New Jury System, Stephen C. Thaman

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This article discusses Spain’s history of trial by jury, focusing on the reinstatement of trial by jury in Spain by the 1995 jury legislation implementing Article 125 of the post-Franco Spanish Constitution. It discusses key provisions of the new Spanish jury law with illustrations from the cases of Otegi and others. It also predicts as to whether the classic jury will acquit itself as a catalyst for criminal justice reform in a Civil Law system such as that of Spain.

Reform Of The Procuracy And Bar In Russia, Stephen C. Thaman

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This article discusses recent efforts to reform the Russian bar and procuracy, the institutions’ responses, and the problem of criminal procedure reform as it relates to them.

The Resurrection Of Trial By Jury In Russia, Stephen C. Thaman

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This article traces the genesis of the Russian jury law of July 16, 1993, and places it in the context of the criminal justice reform movement that began during the perestroika period. This article analyzes and evaluates the Jury Law on the basis of the first Russian jury trials. The purpose of this article is to isolate certain problem areas and pose questions, which must be answered in the future.

Much of the material for this paper results from the author’s personal observation of eleven of the first fourteen jury trials and parts of four more trials. The author also …

Trial By Jury And The Constitutional Rights Of The Accused In Russia, Stephen C. Thaman

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This article discusses the Russian criminal justice system’s transformation from the unjust Soviet system and the introduction of trial by jury. It specifically addresses the role of supplementary investigations in the new adversary procedure and the newly introduced privilege against self-incrimination. The author concludes that even though reforms have improved the Russian criminal justice system, elements of the Soviet system, such as supplementary investigations, remain, undermining the purpose of the new system.

Criminal Justice Issues In Revolutionary Nicaragua, Stephen C. Thaman

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In this article, the author discusses his experiences traveling to Nicaragua in May 1985, as a part of a group of American lawyers and law professors invited by the Nicaraguan Association of Democratic Justice to consult on the judicial process, as well as a revolutionary struggle within the Nicaraguan institutions responsible for criminal justice. This article addresses current criminal procedure, special tribunals, and popular anti-Somocista tribunals. It also discusses a pilot project geared to improve criminal justice issues in Nicaragua.