在功能設計上，中國人民陪審員制度被賦予保障審判公正、權力 監督、提高訴訟效率等作用，本文描述了人民陪審員制度在司法實踐 中對應然功能的實現與差距，著重分析2005年生效的《關於完善人民 陪審員制度的決定》實施以來的新近發展。雖然人民陪審員制度有利 於大眾參與、審判公正、提高訴訟效率，但不可否認的是，在事實審 與法律審尙未分開的訴訟體系中，法官與陪審員在法律知識等方面的 不平衡狀態阻礙人民陪審員發揮積極作用。文中討論具體的改革方 案，並建議陪審員制度的改革應與整體訴訟制度的改革相結合。

This paper describes the similarities and differences between the ideal status and the actual implementation of the Chinese people’s assessor system in the field of trial justice, power supervision, and litigation efficiency. The analysis focuses on the recent development of the assessor system after the Decision of the Standing Committee of the National People s Congress Regarding Perfecting the System of People’s Assessors became effective in 2005. Although the assessor system has the potential of promoting public participation, trial impartiality and proceeding efficiency in court trials, the system is also hindered by an inactive role played by the assessors resulting mainly from an imbalance in legal knowledge between judges and assessors. Possible measures to narrow the gap between ideal status and actual practice of assessor system are discussed. It is suggested that the reformation of the assessor system with the whole proceeding system should continue.