The Development of Jury Service in Japan

This book presents a comprehensive account of past and present efforts to introduce the jury system in Japan. Focused on related case studies, the book also discusses the instances when the idea of introducing trial by jury was rejected at different times in Japan’s history. The work further poses the question of whether the saiban’in system is likely to remain an effectively functioning institution, or if it will ultimately repeat the fate of previous unsuccessful experiments. The book offers important insights on a question that is highly relevant for understanding contemporary Japan and its recent and distant past.