英字新聞

The Yomiuri Shimbun (May. 24, 2010)
Improve lay judge system by examining past trials
裁判員制度　１年間の検証を改善に生かせ（5月23日付・読売社説）

One year has passed since the law governing the lay judge system came into effect. Lay judge trials have not faced major troubles so far.
　裁判員法が施行されてから１年が経過した。裁判員裁判は、概(おおむ)ね順調に実施されている。

However, some problems have begun to emerge. It is essential to solve these problems by closely examining past lay judge trials.
　だが、一方で課題も見えてきた。これまでの公判の綿密な検証を行い、問題点を改善していくことが大切だ。

According to the Supreme Public Prosecutors Office, verdicts have been handed down to 530 defendants since the law took effect on May 21 last year. Six citizen judges are chosen per case, meaning more than 3,000 people have served as lay judges nationwide.
　最高検によると、裁判員法が施行された昨年５月２１日からの１年間に、対象事件で５３０人に判決が言い渡された。一つの事件で６人の裁判員が選ばれることから、これまでに全国で３０００人以上が裁判員を務めたことになる。

In many cases, trials ended after three to four days. However, one trial for which the Kyoto District Court handed down a ruling on Thursday lasted nine days, which appeared to be the longest lay judge trial so far. This is because quite a bit of time was spent to hear trial testimony, including that of an expert witness who performed a psychiatric examination of a defendant charged with injury resulting in death.
　多くの公判は３〜４日間で終了している。だが、京都地裁で２０日に判決が出た事件の公判は、これまでで最長とみられる９日間を要した。傷害致死罪などに問われた被告の精神鑑定医らの証人尋問に多くの時間が割かれたためだ。

There likely will be even more prolonged trials in the future, in cases where the application of capital punishment, for example, becomes a major contention.
　今後は死刑の適用などを巡り、より長期化する公判もあろう。

It is vital, therefore, that judges as well as prosecutors and lawyers take heed to ensure efficient trial proceedings and fully examine cases, while giving consideration to lay judges to ensure that excessive burdens are not placed on them.
　裁判員に過度の負担がかからないよう配慮しながら、十分に審理を尽くすためには、裁判官はもちろん、検察官、弁護人が効率的な公判の進行に留意することが肝要である。

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Sex crime trials major issue

A major issue that has surfaced in the past year was how to conduct trials for sex crimes, which accounted for about 20 percent of lay judge trials.
　大きな課題として浮かび上がったのが、裁判員裁判の約２割を占める性犯罪の公判のあり方だ。

In April, the Oita prefectural police arrested a man who allegedly raped and injured a woman on her way home, but sent him to prosecutors only on suspicion of rape instead of rape resulting in bodily injury, which is not subject to a lay judge trial.
　帰宅途中の女性に乱暴し、負傷させた男について、大分県警が、裁判員裁判の対象である強姦(ごうかん)致傷容疑ではなく、対象外の強姦容疑で送検したケースがあった。

The police did so because, they said, the victim did not want the incident to be known to lay judges or the case to be handled by a lay judge trial.
　女性が、「事件を知られたくない。裁判員裁判だけは嫌」と訴えたからだという。

Yet in the end, the Oita District Public Prosecutors Office indicted the man for rape resulting in bodily injury, and he faced a lay judge trial.
　検察は結局、強姦致傷罪で起訴し、被告は裁判員裁判で裁かれることになった。

Considering the fact that the woman was injured, the prosecutors' response to this case was appropriate from the viewpoint of fair punishment. But due consideration should be given to protect the victim's privacy during court hearings.
　女性が負傷した以上、検察の対応は、公正な処罰の観点から適切だったといえるが、公判では、被害者のプライバシーの保護に、十分に配慮しなければならない。

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Need for privacy, speedy trials

At present, courts introduce measures, including a video link system by which victims can testify from a separate room without giving their names. It might be necessary to have repeated discussions about whether these measures are sufficient to protect victims' privacy.
　現在、法廷では、被害者の氏名を明らかにせず、被害者が証言する際には、別室からモニターを通じて語るビデオリンク方式などを用いている。こうした措置だけで十分なのかどうか、検討を重ねていく必要があるだろう。

There is concern that more and more victims might cry themselves to sleep without filing criminal charges, as they shy away from lay judge trials.
　懸念されるのは、裁判員裁判を敬遠するために被害届を出さずに泣き寝入りする被害者が増えるのではないかということである。

In addition, some people point out the problem of too much time elapsing as a case proceeds from indictment to trial.
　このほか、起訴から公判まで時間がかかり過ぎるといった問題点も指摘されている。

The law governing the lay judge system stipulates the system should be reviewed, if necessary, in 2012 or later.
　裁判員法は、必要があれば２０１２年以降に制度を見直すよう定めている。

We hope that legal circles will strive to improve the lay judge system in the light of opinions and experiences of those people who have served as lay judges.
法曹界は、裁判員経験者の意見を参考に、制度の改善に努めてほしい。

(From The Yomiuri Shimbun, May 23, 2010)
（2010年5月23日01時18分 読売新聞）