Registration Now Open for the 5th Session of the Citizen-Initiated Mock Jury Trial (April 30 – May 1)
Last edited: 2026-07-27
Based on the ideal of judicial democratization, introducing public participation in trials has been the reform trend in recent years. Meanwhile, the Judicial Yuan has been actively promoting the "lay participation system" through multiple mock trial demonstrations. Since 2014, the JRF has also held four mock trials on the "jury system." Through hands-on practice, we have come to understand that promoting this institutional reform—public participation in trials—cannot be achieved overnight. Honest simulation, sincere accountability, and policy advocacy are our principles. The Judicial Reform Foundation will hold the fifth citizen-initiated mock jury trial on April 30 and May 1, 2016, and cordially invites all friends to participate.
The previous (fourth) session, an international drug-trafficking case, was held in May 2015 at Soochow University in Taipei. It adopted a unanimous jury verdict (full consensus rule), but because the jury ultimately failed to reach a consensus, a verdict could not be reached. Following the dismissal of the jury, the prosecutor has re-indicted the case, and a new jury will be empaneled for a retrial in Taichung! If you want to experience a jury trial firsthand, sign up while space lasts!
Register as JurorRegister to Observe
Venue
Huichung Building 301 Conference Room, Taichung City Government (No. 99, Sec. 3, Taiwan Blvd., Xitun Dist., Taichung City)
Event Schedule
| Time / Content | 2016.4.30 (Sat.) | 2016.5.1 (Sun.) |
|---|---|---|
| 09:00-12:00 | Preparatory Proceedings | Trial Proceedings |
| 13:00-18:00 | Voir Dire and Selection of Prospective Jurors | Trial Proceedings, Jury Deliberation Proceedings |
Registration Information
Those who register as jurors will be included in the roster of prospective jurors for this event through expanded sampling. On April 20, 50 selected prospective jurors will be notified to physically take their seats in the courtroom on April 30. Prosecutors and attorneys will question the prospective jurors regarding their qualifications, and 12 official jurors will be selected on-site (priority given to members of the public without a legal background). Trial proceedings and jury deliberations will take place on May 1. There are also 200 seats available for public observation on-site.
If you are selected as one of the 50 prospective jurors, please check in by 12:00 PM on April 30. Prospective jurors will be drawn on-site for questioning to determine the 12 jurors who will serve in the May 1 trial. If you are not selected as a juror, you may participate in the shadow jury led by Li Hsuan-i or observe the mock trial in its entirety.
※ The courtroom will adopt the citizen-initiated "Draft Act on Citizen Participation in Criminal Trials" and apply the principle of a single indictment document currently being drafted by the JRF.
※ As this event promotes mock trials and is public-interest in nature, there is no registration fee, and observers may come and go freely. Meal boxes will be provided for those registered as jurors. Special thanks to the Legal Affairs Bureau of the Taichung City Government for providing promotional gifts on-site.
The roster of prospective jurors for this event (totaling 86 people) underwent a computer random draw on April 20 (the entire process was filmed and is linked below) to select 50 prospective jurors.
Contact Person
Ms. Huang, Judicial Reform Foundation
- Phone: 02-25231178*19
- E-mail: chuan@jrf.org.tw
Organizers
Taichung City Government, Taiwan Taichung Bar Association, Judicial Reform Foundation, Providence University Legal Aid Club
This article is an AI-generated translation of the original Chinese text. In the event of any discrepancy, the Chinese version shall prevail.