Saiban-In Seido (the Lay Assessor System), Kensatsu Shinsakai (Prosecutorial Review Commission (PRC)), and Okinawa's Quest for Self-Determination and Political Sovereignty
Okinawan Journal of American Studies, 2008, 5: 31-42
12 Pages Posted: 25 Mar 2015
Date Written: March 23, 2008
Abstract
Two new systems of lay participation in Japan -- Saiban-in saiban (the lay assessor trial) and new Kensatsu Shinsakai (Prosecutorial Review Commissions) -- will have a significant democratizing effect in Okinawa. Under the lay assessor system, local residents can become direct participants in criminal trials involving American military defendants. The new grand jury system (PRC) will have equally powerful impacts upon the prosecutor's use of discretion, largely because non-indictment decision made by local prosecutors against American military personnel or Japanese government officials will be critically assessed and may even be reversed by the citizen's panel. These lay justice systems may then help to restore a strong sense of social independence, political sovereignty, and cultural identity for the people in the island of Okinawa.
Keywords: Saiban-in Seido, Proselutorial Review, Lay assessor trial, Okinawan Political Sovereignty
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