The Democratic Party of Japan is studying proposals to bring back the jury system in some criminal trials and to appoint more women as Supreme Court justices, party sources said Wednesday.
A draft report on reform of the judicial system compiled by the leading opposition party proposes that high-profile criminal cases be tried under a jury system, which Japan used between 1923 and 1943.
The ruling Liberal Democratic Party, however, opposes adoption of the jury system due to "the lack of a social basis for the effective and stable functioning" of such a system. In a package of proposals made in May, the LDP calls for appointing members of the general public as assistant judges.
The DPJ is also proposing that ordinary citizens be allowed to attend hearings in civil cases and to conduct discussions with the judge prior to the ruling. The DPJ is also proposing that the number of judges, lawyers and prosecutors be increased to 50,000 from about 20,000 in 10 years.
The draft said the appointment of women as Supreme court justices would be "the first task" for the party if it assumes the helm of government. Japan has had only one female justice on the top court, Hisako Takahashi, who served from 1994 to 1997.
The drafts of both parties support a plan to select judges from among lawyers and prosecutors, instead of allowing judicial trainees to start their careers as judges immediately after finishing legal training.
Japan abolished the jury system in 1943 because it was not considered to be performing well and was too costly, experts said.