TOKYO, Aug. 3 (Xinhua) -- The first trial by jury to take place in Japan since 1943 started on Monday, in what is seen as a major overhaul of the nation's legal system.

    Under the new type of trial, six members of the public will work with three judges to pass verdicts on the accused. In the first trial, Katsuyoshi Fujii, 77, has admitted to killing his neighbor, a woman from South Korea, in May.

    The trial will focus on what sort of punishment Fujii deserves, and will be closely scrutinized as for the first time in generations, members of the public will have the chance to hand down the death sentence. The ruling is expected to be issued Thursday.

    In Japan, murder is punishable by death, life imprisonment or a jail term of five years or more. In the months approaching the implementation of the new lay-judge system, critics have questioned whether members of the public would be too lenient given the burden of responsibility they have during trials such as Fujii's. A recent opinion poll in the Yomiuri Shimbun also showed that 79 percent of those questioned did not want to participate in a trial as a lay judge.

    Japan decided to implement the lay-judge system in 2004, and since then there have been mock trials and seminars held in an attempt to help the public understand both the nature of the legal system and the methodology of Japanese trials.