（Abstract）

The judicial system，an important integral part of the political system ofa State，is closely related to the organic structure of State power and forms of governance. In the narrow sense of the word，usually understood abroad，it issynonimous with “trial proceedings. ” But in its broad sense，accepted in China，it encompasses all State organs taking part in judicial activities. In this article，the narrow sense is adopted when talking about and analyzing the judicialsystem of the Western countries. Taking into account，however，the practicalrequirements of judicial reform in China，our analyses will include other institutional aspects closely related to the system of judicial trials. Our report comprises the following seven sections：