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Japan - Trial By Jury

This week Video Journalist Bronwyn Adcock reports on a country with one of the toughest judicial systems in the world.

Japan's crime rate remains relatively low; however the conviction rate inside its court system is incredibly high. Once charged, there's more than a 99 per cent chance of being found guilty. Without an official jury system, verdicts and sentences are determined by a single judge.

However, change is on the horizon and a jury system could be implemented as early as next year. Mock trials have been set up around the nation, comprising of six jurors and 3 judges. Advocates of the new 'Saibin-in' system, have great hopes in the ability of lay people to restore fairness and equality in the judicial system.

However, Japan is a nation of tradition, and opinion polls reveal the vast majority don't support the move, furthermore, these people don't want to participate as jurors.

What does the future hold for Japan's judicial system?


Interview with Gareth Evans

Dateline catches up with former Australian Foreign Minister and head of the International Crisis group, Gareth Evans.

The Sky Kingdom

Welcome to the Sky Kingdom, a religious wonderland decorated with a giant teapot, a giant vase and an enormous golden umbrella.

The controversial multi-faith Sky Kingdom sect has its home on the Malaysian peninsula's east coast, and its spiritual figurehead is Arifin Mohammed - also known as Father or Ayah Pin.

Ayah Pin claims to be a re-incarnation of the holy figures of Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism and Islam. The 62-year-old also claims to have the power of invisibility, and the ability to kill a man using thought power alone!

But in Malaysia, Islam is the dominant religion and breaking away from the mainstream is not tolerated. In 2005, the government declared the Sky Kingdom a deviant religious sect. When its disciples refused to pull down their places of worship, an armed mob went on the rampage - lives were threatened, and ultimately the site was bulldozed.

Ayah Pin is now on the run, but a small group of followers continue to practice the religion. Find out how this controversial belief is unsettling the Malay government and testing the boundaries of religious freedom.

About International Dateline 

SBS Dateline, which began in 1984, is Australia's longest-running international current affairs program. It has a well-earned reputation for authoritative and incisive reporting. Dateline has taken the traditional way of producing TV current affairs and turned it on its head. Reporters who used to travel with a cameraperson and sound recordist now travel alone and have the responsibility of both filming and reporting their stories. The reporters became video-journalists, gaining access to people and places that the conventional camera crews cannot.