Saiban-in trial refers to a type of trial at court of first instance pursuant to the Act on Criminal Trials with Participation of Saiban-in (hereinafter Saiban-in Act, Act No. 63 of 2004) under which the court consists of professional judges and Saiban-ins, who are lay persons chosen from the public for each case (usually, three professional judges and six Saiban-ins for a case) try the case of designated offenses. The designated offenses are offenses punishable by death or life imprisonment, or offenses that caused the victim to die by an intentional criminal act punishable by the minimum term of imprisonment for not less than one year. In Saiban-in trials, the professional judges and Saiban-ins adjudicate and decide sentences together.
Table 2-3-2-3 shows persons received at courts of first instance and disposed by Saiban-in trials, by types of offense.