{"id":239996,"date":"2026-09-25T14:13:51","date_gmt":"2026-09-25T06:13:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.cpr.cuhk.edu.hk\/?post_type=press&p=239996"},"modified":"2026-09-28T11:17:31","modified_gmt":"2026-09-28T03:17:31","slug":"cuhk-law-and-hong-kong-bar-association-host-landmark-international-symposium-on-jury-trials-and-the-administration-of-justice-examining-lay-decision-making-across-common-law-and-civil-law-jurisdictio","status":"publish","type":"press","link":"https:\/\/www.cpr.cuhk.edu.hk\/en\/press\/cuhk-law-and-hong-kong-bar-association-host-landmark-international-symposium-on-jury-trials-and-the-administration-of-justice-examining-lay-decision-making-across-common-law-and-civil-law-jurisdictio\/","title":{"rendered":"CUHK LAW and Hong Kong Bar Association host landmark International Symposium on Jury Trials and the Administration of Justice Examining lay decision-making across common law and civil law jurisdictions"},"content":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"featured_media":0,"template":"","tags":[],"class_list":["post-239996","press","type-press","status-publish","hentry"],"acf":{"title_alt":"CUHK LAW and Hong Kong Bar Association host landmark \r\nInternational Symposium on Jury Trials and the Administration of Justice\r\nExamining lay decision-making across common law and civil law jurisdictions","sub_title_alt":"","press_date":"20260925","keep":false,"details":"

The Faculty of Law of The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK LAW), in collaboration with the Hong Kong Bar Association (HKBA), recently hosted a landmark international symposium entitled \u201cJury on Trial: Critical Perspectives on the Future of Lay Decision-Making\u201d. The hybrid event brought together members of the judiciary, leading practitioners, academics and students from around the world to examine the evolving legal, social and practical implications of jury trials across diverse common law and civil law jurisdictions.<\/p>\r\n

Bridging common law tradition and comparative scholarship <\/strong><\/p>\r\n

In his welcoming address, Mr Jos\u00e9-Antonio Maurellet SC<\/strong>, Chairman of the HKBA, highlighted the constitutional and historical significance of jury trials in Hong Kong, noting that the system is deeply rooted in the common law tradition and safeguarded by the Basic Law. He described jury trials as \u201cthe architecture of a mature legal order\u201d, where judges determine questions of law while juries represent the community in deciding questions of fact. Emphasising the importance of public confidence to the administration of justice, Mr Maurellet observed that juries are impartial and representative of the people, and also be seen to be so, and referred to surveys in England and Wales demonstrating enduring public trust in trial by jury.<\/p>\r\n

Framing the academic vision for the symposium, Prof<\/strong>essor<\/strong> Jeremy Dein KC <\/strong>and Prof<\/strong>essor<\/strong> Luke Marsh<\/strong> of CUHK LAW emphasised the importance of examining lay decision-making and evaluating jury systems through a rigorous, comparative global lens rather than in isolation. \u201cRather than defending or rejecting the jury system in the abstract, our goal was to examine lay participation through a truly comparative perspective,\u201d said Professor Dein, Chair of the symposium. \u201cBy bringing together judicial leaders, practitioners and comparative scholars from both common law and civil law traditions, CUHK LAW provides an objective, world-class platform to explore the extent to which lay participation continues to enhance legitimacy, fairness and public confidence in criminal adjudication, as well as the circumstances in which alternative decision-making models may better serve contemporary criminal justice systems.\u201d<\/p>\r\n

Judicial insights and international perspectives<\/strong><\/p>\r\n

A centrepiece of the event was a key session by The Honourable Mr Justice Kevin Zervos JA <\/strong>of the Hong Kong Judiciary on \u201cJury Trial in Hong Kong: Local Perspectives and Contemporary Questions\u201d. <\/em>He provided valuable insights into the operation of Hong Kong\u2019s jury system in both legal principle and judicial practice, offering reflections on its development, contemporary challenges and continuing role within the criminal justice system.<\/p>\r\n

The symposium also featured distinguished international speakers, including His Honour Judge Richard Marks KC<\/strong>, Common Serjeant of London at the Central Criminal Court (Old Bailey). <\/em>He observed that while the jury system remains a cornerstone of criminal justice in England and Wales, it faces increasing pressure arising from a significant case backlog and ongoing discussions regarding possible reforms. His presentation examined the tension between preserving traditional jury trials and addressing contemporary demands on the justice system.<\/p>\r\n

The symposium further featured a distinguished panel of legal experts and scholars from Hong Kong, the United Kingdom and continental Europe. Through a series of presentations and discussions, participants examined comparative approaches to jury systems, public participation in criminal justice and contemporary challenges facing criminal adjudication across jurisdictions. Speakers included:<\/p>\r\n