Matthew J. Wilson, Japan's New Criminal Jury Trial System: In Need of More Transparency, More Access and More Time, 33 Fordham Int'l L. J. 487-572 (2010).
Introduction:
When the murder trial of seventy-two year-old Katsuyoshi Fujii commenced in the Tokyo District Court in early August 2009, thousands of Japanese lined up for the opportunity to witness the trial.
Millions more were showered with seemingly non-stop television coverage of this monumental event. This marked the first time that the Japanese public had paid such close attention to the minute details of the criminal justice process. Interestingly, the fanfare underlying this widespread national interest did not specifically relate to Mr. Fujii or his heinous acts. Rather, the entire nation focused its eyes on the groundbreaking participation of citizen jurors in his criminal trial.
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