How has the public sphere been built in deliberations of Saiban-in trials?: qualitative and quantitative analysis of Saiban-in's perceptions

2022 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 19K23158
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Research Activity Start-up
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: 0105:Law and related fields
• Research Institution: Niigata University (2020-2022); Chuo University (2019)
• Principal Investigator: Shima Aki 新潟大学, 教育基盤機構, 特任准教授 (80715417)
• Project Period (FY): 2019-08-30 – 2023-03-31
• Keywords: 裁判員裁判 / 実証研究 / 質的分析 / 評議 / 公共性 / 市民の司法参加

Outline of Final Research Achievements

The purpose of this research is to show how the spheres of deliberations in Saiban-in trials were constructed by analyzing the transcriptions of round-table talks in which the experiences of former Saiban-ins were elicited. This study identifies themes within the data, specifically that deliberations in Saiban-in trials are the public sphere as follows: 1) as a citizen being a responsible member of society, neither as an individual who assumes a family role nor as an employee of a company, the person can make remarks and be heard by other participants in public, entering into the public space. 2) The Saiban-ins can critically reflect on existing rules and social systems as well as review their own criteria for judging crime and imposing punishments by exchanging opinions. 3) It is a sphere that can foster the public consciousness concerning public affairs, such as the defendant's rehabilitation and the significance of law and social order.

Free Research Field

犯罪学、法哲学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

非公開で実施されてきた裁判員裁判の評議については、その内容を明らかにすることが困難であった。しかし、本研究において、裁判員経験者が意見交換会で語った評議に関する発言を質的に分析することにより、評議という空間がどのような空間であるかについて一定の視点を与えることができたと考えている。