2013年11月12日，中国共产党第十八届三中全会闭幕，全会通过了《中共中央关于全面深化改革若干重大问题的决定》，其中第三十四条提出完善司法制度，逐步减少适用死刑的罪名。也即从立法层面入手减少我们国家的死刑，一般来说主要是针对经济犯罪、财产性犯罪、职务犯罪、非暴力性犯罪等方面，来减少死刑的罪名。这样一定程度可以从根源上减少我们国家死刑的刑种，同时必然引起司法实践当中死刑适用的实际减少，这样就符合国际上要求废除死刑的潮流，进一步完善我国人权制度，在我国司法改革进程中这是一个非常重要的进步，也是历次中央决议当中第一次明确具体谈及我国死刑制度改革，明确提出来减少死刑。这是同我们国家宪法和刑事诉讼法提出的“国家尊重和保障人权”的具体体现。但是，就我国国情来看，我们不赞成完全废除死刑，对于死刑我们应该逐步取消，比如非暴力性的犯罪应该首先取消死刑。这意味着在我国的政治经济建设过程中，死刑改革成为了一个工作重点，是当前国家工作的重点之一。那么如何在死刑改革的道路上顺利走下去成为了摆在我们面前的一项重要工作。 但是，在死刑改革的道路上，公众舆论是一道不得不跨越的槛，只有跨越了这重障碍才有可能通过制度途径等来保障死刑制度的改革。纵观各国公众舆论在死刑适用中的作用，日本的裁判员制度能够提供良好的借鉴作用。因为中日两国一衣带水的邻国关系,加之均属大陆法系的共同点,本文拟通过对日本裁判员法的研究以及对日本最高法院公布的裁判员制度实施四年余来的相关统计数据的具体分析，并通过引入裁判员参与审判的具体案例，较为详尽的论述日本裁判员制度的特点和运行机制，为我国死刑制度改革提供参考和借鉴，具体论述过程中通过对日本裁判员制度的研究来具体说明公众参与刑事审判的积极意义特别是对公众死刑观念的形成和改变具有一定程度的影响。在条件成熟的时候，希望通过公众参与死刑审判使公众更加了解死刑而改变公众现有的死刑观念，进而为死刑改革提供一定的社会基础和思想基础。本文以对比研究方法、归纳总结方法对公众参与死刑适用的主要类型进行概述，在此基础之上以日本裁判员制度的实施现状为主要视角，以《裁判员法》的规定以及日本高等法院的相关数据为依托，对公众参与审理死刑案件的相关情况进行具体分析，阐明公众参与死刑适用的可能性和必然性，从而提出我国死刑制度改革过程中可以有效转变公众死刑观念的制度上和思想上的建议

The Third Plenary Session of the 18th Communist Party of CPC Central Committee concluded on November 12, 2013 and a decision on "major issues concerning comprehensively deepening reforms" was approved. As the decision mentioned, China will gradually reduce the number of crimes subject to death penalty. The 34th Article in the communique pointed that the legal system for human rights should be perfected and the number of crimes subject to death penalty should be gradually reduced. According to the communique, the number of death penalty should be reduced from the perspective of legislation and the crimes mainly involved are the economic crime, property crime, duty crime and non-violent crime. Then the punishments of death penalty in China can be reduced from the source and the application of death penalty in judicial practice would be decreased, which conforms to the international trend to reduce or abolish death penalty and helps to further improve our system for human rights. This is a very important progress and it is the first time to discuss the reduction of death penalty in a central decision. This is the embodiment of “Human rights are respected and protected” which is proposed in Constitution and Criminal Procedure Law. The cancellation of all death penalty is disapproved, but reduction of it step by step is necessary. For instance, death penalty should be abolished for non-violent crimes. Obviously, death penalty reform become one of the focuses in the process of political and economic construction of China. Then how the death penalty reform can be successful is an important task for us.However, in the death penalty reform, public opinion is an essential barrier. Only it is overcome can the death penalty reform be ensured. Comparing the effects of the public opinion on the death penalty in every country, the author of this thesis finds that the Japanese Jury System is a good reference for China, because China and Japan are neighbors and both of them belong to the continental law system. With the aim of providing reference to Chinese death penalty reform and on the basis of the previous research of the Japanese Jury System and the analysis of relevant statistical data which is announced by the Supreme Court of Japan over last four years, this thesis tries to elaborate the characteristics and operation mechanism of the Japanese Jury System together with a specific trial in which the jury participate. In the process of elaboration, the positive effects of Jury system is emphasized, especially its effect on the formation and alteration of public opinions on death penalty. The author hopes that the public can further understand the death penalty and their present opinions on death penalty can be changed through their participation in the trial so that the social and thought foundation can be laid for the death penalty reform.In this thesis, comparative methods and inductive methods are used to outline the main types of public participation in the death penalty. Then through the current situation of the Japanese Jury System, the regulations in Jury Act and the revelant statistics provided by the Supreme Court of Japan, the thesis analyzes a specific case and shows the possibility and necessity of jury participation with the aim of offering some suggestions to our death penalty reform.