Jurors to attend death penalty cases

Chinese jurors are expected to participate in hearing cases in which defendants may face a death penalty, a draft law said on Wednesday.

The draft law on people's jurors was submitted to the bimonthly session of the country's top legislature, the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, for the second reading. It was first discussed among the legislators last year.

Compared to the first version that stated criminal cases where defendants were likely to be sentenced to over 10 years in prison or life imprisonment, the latest one has added the death penalty, showing the nation's cautious attitude to the death sentence as well as ensuring the public participant in case hearings.

The latest draft also said some people could not become jurors, such as defaulters, arbitrators, lawyers whose license are revoked and those with serious violations.

Meanwhile, it stipulates that citizens aged 28 years old or above and who have received high school education or above can be selected randomly as jurors, but a certain proportion should be chosen based on personal applications and recommendations by entities.

In addition, the jurors will be selected for a term of five years and normally will not get a second term.