Phase One of Citizen Judges Act to Take Effect in 2023

Phase One of Citizen Judges Act to Take Effect in 2023

Source: UDN

July 23, 2020

The LY’s extraordinary session passed the Citizen Judges Bill yesterday. In certain criminal cases, the bench will be formed with six citizen judges and three career judges. The first phase of the Act will come into effect in 2023.

Under the Act, a guilty verdict must be agreed on by at least two-thirds of the nine-judge panel, including both citizen judges and career judges. A sentence must be determined by at least half of the panel, including both citizen and career judges, but a death sentence must be agreed on by at least two-thirds of the panel before it is handed down.

Citizens who are over 23 years of age, have finished the National Education Program, and have lived under the jurisdiction of the district court for four consecutive months are eligible to become citizen judges. Anyone who has been convicted and sentenced to imprisonment, the President and Vice President of the Republic, elected members of deliberative councils at various levels, politically appointed government officials, active-duty military and police officers, or those who have passed qualifying exams for judges, prosecutors, or lawyers may not be eligible to serve as citizen judges.

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