The law establishing the lay judge system, in which citizens will serve as de facto jurors in trials involving serious crimes, will take effect May 21 next year, the government announced April 8.

Because the system will apply to cases for which indictments are filed on that date or later, the first trial with lay judges will be held in late July or early August 2009 after pretrial deliberations by prosecutors, defense lawyers and courts, according to a senior Justice Ministry official.

The law, enacted May 21, 2004, calls for six eligible voters to work with three professional judges at district courts to determine a defendant's guilt and, if applicable, the sentence.