The magnitude of the 2016 Brussels terror attacks will cast a shadow across Belgian history. Not only a personal effort for victims directly concerned, processing the trauma has become a national exercise that stretched the limits of our judicial system.
Confronted with such challenges and faced with numerous obstacles along the way, many questioned whether the structure for dealing with such a colossal case was up to task. In particular, the burden of expectation placed on the people's jury was a reservation that hung over the seven-month ordeal.
As many of the 1,000 preselected members of the public called sought to exempt themselves from the highly taxing and protracted procedure, the psychological demands of what was dubbed "the trial of the century" were exacerbated by the practical exigencies, which required constant attention from jury members which took priority over all other commitments.
France had relied on a professional jury to carry out the trial of those suspected of the 2015 Paris attacks – some of whom were also behind the atrocities in Brussels. This added to doubts about whether Belgium was making a mistake in seeking the participation of wider society in such an attempt.
Yesterday this decision was vindicated as the jury delivered their verdict after almost three weeks in isolation, pouring over the painful details of the extended trial. Going on late into the evening, six of the ten defendants were declared guilty of terrorist murder, two others found to be part of the responsible terrorist organisation, and the two others acquitted.
The conclusion was met with an outpouring of praise as civil organisations recognised the scale of the effort. Notably, jury members were unable to access psychological support during the process as this could have influenced their decisions. Ministers were quick to stress the dedication of these members that was central to the procedure.
Commentators have hailed the outcome as serving "justice to the edifice of justice itself" and fresh proof that the justice system is central to democracy. Even more significantly, representatives of the victims have welcomed a key development, pointing in particular to the nuance of the verdict which they say makes clear the sincerity of the effort.
The jury will return to the courtroom once more in September to decide on the sentencing.
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