Lay Element in Criminal Justice; Comparison of Czech and French Criminal Law

74 Summary Lay element in criminal justice; comparison of Czech and French criminal law The subject of my thesis is a lay element in criminal justice. A lay element in criminal proceeding is a phenomenon the origins of which date back to ancient Greece. Its role before the court is unique. Laymen contribute to openness of justice, fairness and legitimation of rulings as well as control the judges and help to strengthen citizens' confidence in judiciary and law observance. There is a long tradition of this element in the Czech Republic. Despite this fact, the abolition of lay-judges in District Courts is being considered these days. In addition, within the Czech legal literature the issue of participation of the lay element in criminal justice is marginalized. With regards to these facts I have decided to write this thesis in order to assess effectiveness of proposed lay-judge abolition, and to bring the issue of popular justice closer to the reader. My thesis is divided into five parts. The introductory section explains why I have chosen the topic, what the aims of my thesis are, and what methods have been used for their achievement. In the first part I have focused on the lay element in the Czech criminal justice, lay-judges. Its four subchapters describe the institute, the methods of its creation and..