A requirement that judges work as lawyers before sitting on the bench and the introduction of a jury system are necessary to forge a more democratic judicial system, the chairman of the Japan Federation of Bar Associations (Nichibenren) said Wednesday.
Speaking on judicial reform at the Japan National Press Club in Tokyo's Chiyoda Ward, Kazumasa Kuboi, who took the chair in April, criticized the current "career system" of judges.
Under the present system, judicial apprentices, after training for 18 months at the Judicial Research and Training Institute, become assistant judges and serve for 10 years. They are then promoted and can be transferred to any court throughout the country.
"There is a division between judges and ordinary citizens because judges lack social experience," Kuboi said. "By having some experience as attorneys, they will be able to learn the viewpoints of the citizens."
Advocating the introduction of juries, Kuboi said the system would enable citizens to realize a truly democratic nation as well as recognize their responsibilities as sovereign citizens.
"Some are skeptical of the system and fear that citizens lack the ability to be jurors," Kuboi said. "But I believe Japanese people can do it."