The Jurist System is a trial system that was recently implemented. It is a revival of the jury trials that were conducted prior to 2012.
Test trial
- Main article: Turnabout Succession
Only one trial is known to have used the system to date. The trial featured six jurors who watched the trial from a separate room through closed-circuit video camera. The judge moderated the proceedings, and he could end the trial in a guilty verdict through penalties on the defense attorney. However, once the judge decided to end the trial (and not in the aforementioned manner), the responsibility of the final verdict fell on the jury. A unanimous verdict was required to end the trial for good; otherwise, a mistrial would be declared due to a hung jury and the trial would restart.
Future
The full repercussions of the implication of this system on Gyakuten Saiban 5 are unknown. However, the developers allegedly have "some neat new ideas for [Gyakuten Saiban 5]".[1]
In real life
The old bench trial system is based on Japan's actual judicial system that was in use from 1943 to 2009. The Jurist System's inclusion in Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney was due to Japan reestablishing jury trials with a 2004 ruling that officially changed the system in May of 2009. The first jury trial since the 40's took place in August of 2009. Nevertheless, this anachronism that the Ace Attorney games now contain is still apparent.[citation needed]
Terminology confusion
The use of the term "Jurist System" and the word "jurist" in the context of the events of Turnabout Succession is incorrect. The correct term for a member of a jury is "juror"; a "jurist" is an expert in the law, which is ironic considering the whole point of the "Jurist System".