Judiciary Seeks 'Future Courtroom'... Experiments with 'Restorative Justice' and Verifies in Courtrooms

Movements to envision the future courtroom are actively taking place both inside and outside the courts. These are connected to experiments seeking trial methods suited to the current era while contemplating the 'essence of trials.'

[Photo by Beopryul Newspaper]

Recently, within the courts, preparations are underway to establish the ‘Legal Research Society for Future Society.’ The purpose is to view the courtroom procedures, which were designed long ago, from a new perspective in line with the era of advanced information creation and distribution through the internet, SNS, and AI (artificial intelligence). Ham Seokcheon (54, Judicial Research and Training Institute Class 25), Chief Judge of the Daejeon District Court, said, “We are discussing and debating trial methods that match the modern citizen’s perspective, researching and reviewing what kind of trial and hearing procedures fit like a well-tailored suit. We expect that if the research results accumulate and are incorporated into practice and systems, it will help enhance the judiciary’s credibility.”

The essence of a trial is said to lie in the process of seeking justice through substantive truth. It involves presenting evidence in court to find the substantive truth.

One example is ‘restorative justice,’ which some judges are experimenting with. In one courtroom, a defendant charged with drunk driving submits videos every night showing himself not drinking alcohol. In another courtroom, a defendant accused of drug use reflects on his life by reading books or watching movies and then submits a written review.

Lawyers bring ‘verification’ into the courtroom. They demonstrate patented inventions in court during arguments or reenact situations of sexual assault using mannequins to illustrate the circumstances.

A judge from a high court said, “According to the principle that ‘all trials are open,’ all discussions related to cases, including verification, should be conducted in court, and now many restrictions have disappeared with the activation of video trials. The future trial should aim to have everything take place in the courtroom.”

※This article is based on content supplied by Law Times.