🚨 Shadow Jury: Expanding Judicial Participation and Court Experience Program

Today Korean Social News | 2025.06.28

📌 'Shadow Jury' Appears in Voice Phishing Trial…A New Way to Experience the Courtroom

💬 Twenty 'shadow jurors' participated in a voice phishing trial at Seoul Central District Court. These people experience the same procedures as real jurors but do not participate in the verdict. The shadow jury system was introduced to expand citizen participation in the judicial system and increase understanding of trial procedures. In court that day, participants could experience the actual trial process including trial procedure explanations, witness examinations, and arguments. Participants showed positive reactions, saying "It was very helpful to directly experience the courtroom that we only saw on TV."

Summary

• Shadow jurors experience the same procedures as real jurors but do not participate in the verdict.
• The goal is to expand citizen participation in the judicial system and improve understanding of trial procedures.
• Citizens can directly experience the courtroom and increase their interest and understanding of the judicial system.

1️⃣ Definition

Shadow jury means citizens who experience the same procedures as official jurors in actual citizen participation trials but do not participate in verdicts or judgments. Simply put, it is a system where people experience the actual trial process by becoming jurors rather than just 'watching' the trial.

This is an educational system designed to allow ordinary citizens to directly experience and understand the judicial system, ultimately aimed at increasing public interest and trust in the judiciary.

💡 Why is it important?

• Ordinary citizens can directly experience and understand the judicial system.
• It can resolve vague fears or misunderstandings about trial procedures.
• It can increase public interest and trust in the judiciary.
• It provides a foundation for better judgment when participating as actual jurors in the future.

2️⃣ How Shadow Jury System Works and Its Features

📕 Selection Process and Qualifications

• Shadow jury selection is done systematically. The main process is as follows:

  • Candidates are randomly selected from Korean citizens aged 20 and above.
  • The same standards as actual jury selection are applied to check disqualifying reasons.
  • Applications are received in advance to confirm voluntary participation.
  • It consists of people who have no interest in the case.
  • Usually consists of 10-20 people, and the number is adjusted according to the nature of the case.

• There are participation qualifications and restrictions. The main criteria are as follows:

  • People working in legal professions such as judges, prosecutors, lawyers, and police officers are excluded.
  • People related to the defendant or victim of the case cannot participate.
  • Those with mental or physical disabilities that make trial participation difficult are excluded.
  • Even if they have seen media reports about the same case in the past, participation is possible.
  • Since the purpose is education and experience, restrictions are less strict than for actual jurors.

📕 Experience Process and Activities

• They experience almost the same process as actual jurors. Main activities include:

  • Before the trial begins, they hear explanations about the role and duties of jurors.
  • They listen to the prosecutor's opening statement and the defense attorney's opening statement.
  • They observe and participate in witness examination and defendant examination processes.
  • They directly examine various pieces of evidence during the evidence investigation process.
  • They listen to the final arguments of the prosecutor and defense attorney and organize the content.

• They also experience the verdict process but do not affect the results. Main features are as follows:

  • They conduct discussions in a separate jury room from the actual jurors.
  • They share opinions on guilt determination and sentencing.
  • Each person freely expresses their opinion and discusses with other participants.
  • Finally, they make a reference verdict, but it is not reflected in the actual trial.
  • After the entire process, they have time for sharing impressions and Q&A.

Main Challenges of the Shadow Jury System

1. Increasing participation rate: Securing enough citizens with voluntary participation intention is a challenge
2. Maximizing educational effect: Need for substantial judicial understanding improvement beyond simple experience
3. Cost-effectiveness: Finding the balance between system operation costs and educational effects
4. Harmony with actual trials: Operating methods that do not interfere with formal trial proceedings
5. Inducing continuous participation: Connecting one-time experiences to continuous judicial participation

3️⃣ Effects and Significance of the Shadow Jury System

✅ Educational Effects and Improving Judicial Understanding

• Citizens' understanding of the judicial system greatly improves. Main effects include:

  • They can directly experience court procedures they only saw on TV or in movies.
  • They can actually see the roles of prosecutors and lawyers, and the functions of the court.
  • They can personally experience the importance of evidence investigation and witness examination.
  • They can directly feel the responsibility and difficulty of being a juror.
  • Vague fears or misunderstandings about the judicial system are resolved.

• Awareness of democratic judicial participation improves. Main changes include:

  • They can realize the meaning and value of citizen participation trials.
  • They gain confidence that they can participate in the judicial process as citizens.
  • They show more willingness to actively participate if selected as actual jurors in the future.
  • They tend to show increased trust in the judiciary.
  • Interest in law and justice increases.

✅ Improving Judicial Trust and Ensuring Transparency

• The transparency and openness of the judiciary are strengthened. Main improvements include:

  • It shows that the courtroom is an open space, not a closed one.
  • Citizens can directly confirm the fairness and transparency of the trial process.
  • They can understand the actual work of legal professionals such as judges, prosecutors, and lawyers.
  • Wrong perceptions or prejudices about the judicial system can be corrected.
  • They can experience the reality of trials that cannot be known through media reports alone.

• It also contributes to the development of the citizen participation trial system. Main contributions include:

  • As the number of people with actual jury experience increases, system operation becomes smoother.
  • It can reduce the phenomenon of avoiding jury participation.
  • The spread of judicial education increases citizens with legal knowledge.
  • Various opinions and suggestions for system improvement can be collected.
  • National interest and support for the judicial system spreads.

4️⃣ Related Terms Explanation

🔎 Citizen Participation Trial

• Citizen participation trial is a trial system where ordinary citizens participate as jurors.
• Citizen participation trial refers to a trial system where ordinary citizens participate as jurors in serious criminal cases and provide opinions on guilt and sentencing. It has been implemented since 2008 and was introduced to increase the democracy and transparency of the judiciary.
• The main features of citizen participation trials include: First, 9 jurors randomly selected from citizens aged 20 and above participate. Second, it applies only to serious crimes such as murder, robbery, and sexual assault. Third, jurors provide opinions on guilt and sentencing, but the final judgment is made by the judge. Fourth, it is conducted when the defendant applies and the court decides.
• Citizen participation trials have the effect of increasing the democracy of the judiciary by reflecting the common sense and conscience of ordinary citizens in trials, moving away from judgments by professional judges alone. The shadow jury system is an educational system to increase understanding and expand participation in such citizen participation trials.

🔎 Jury System

• The jury system is a system where ordinary citizens participate in trials to make factual judgments.
• The jury system refers to a judicial system where ordinary citizens, not legal experts, are selected as jurors to participate in trials and judge facts based on evidence. It is a system developed in common law countries and is currently implemented in many countries around the world.
• The main features of the jury system include: First, ordinary people without legal knowledge make judgments according to common sense and conscience. Second, it usually consists of 6 to 12 jurors. Third, verdicts are made by unanimous agreement or agreement of a certain proportion or more. Fourth, jury judgments often have legal binding force.
• Korea's citizen participation trial is different from a complete jury system. Jurors' opinions are reference matters and have no legal binding force, and the final judgment is made by the judge. However, it contains the spirit of the jury system in that ordinary citizens participate in trials, and the shadow jury system has the meaning of expanding such citizen participation.

🔎 Judicial Participation

• Judicial participation means citizens directly involved in the trial process.
• Judicial participation refers to activities where ordinary citizens participate in the judicial process in various forms to increase the fairness and democracy of trials. This is a movement to reflect citizens' common sense and conscience in the judiciary, moving away from judgments by professional judges alone.
• The main forms of judicial participation include: First, participating as jurors in citizen participation trials. Second, watching the trial process through citizen judicial monitoring groups and court monitoring. Third, experiencing the judicial system through mock trials or shadow juries. Fourth, reflecting citizen opinions in the judicial policy-making process is also included.
• Judicial participation is considered a method of separation of powers and mutual checks according to democratic principles. Citizens' participation in the judicial process can strengthen responsibility to the people while ensuring the independence of the judiciary. The shadow jury system plays a role in lowering the threshold for such judicial participation and expanding participation opportunities.

5️⃣ Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q: What procedures do I need to go through to participate as a shadow juror?

A: Participating as a shadow juror involves relatively simple procedures. First, when the court announces recruitment of shadow jurors, you need to fill out and submit an application form. You can apply through the court website or by phone, writing basic personal information and participation motivation. Unlike actual jury selection, the disqualification review is relatively simple, and most people can participate if they have no direct interest in the case and do not work in legal professions. If selected, you will attend court according to the trial schedule, receive preliminary education, and experience the actual trial process. Participation is free, and some actual expenses such as transportation and meal costs may be supported. Working people may need to use official leave or annual leave, but most workplaces are understanding since it is for judicial education purposes.

Q: Does shadow jury experience affect actual jury selection?

A: Shadow jury experience does not directly affect actual jury selection. Since jury selection in Korea is done through random selection based on resident registration, anyone can be selected regardless of shadow jury experience. Rather, shadow jury experience helps when participating as an actual juror. Understanding of trial procedures improves, allowing better judgment, and active participation without vague fears. Some suggest that shadow jury experience holders should be excluded from jury candidates, but currently there are no such restrictions. However, people who participated as shadow jurors in a specific case are not selected as actual jurors for the same case. Overall, shadow jury experience is evaluated as a positive factor that enhances judicial participation capacity.