OSCE Programme Office in Astana supports discussion on criminal justice development

ASTANA. KAZINFORM Current approaches to increasing the effectiveness of criminal policy were the topic of a two-day OSCE-supported conference that began in Ak-Bulak near Almaty, Kazakhstan on 6 March 2019.

The two-day event is co-organized by the OSCE Programme Office in Astana in co-operation with the Prosecutor General's Office, the Constitutional Council, and the Supreme Court of Kazakhstan with the support of German Foundation for International Legal Co-operation, the Office's official website reads.

Some 60 high-level officials from governmental institutions, law enforcement agencies, representatives of the judiciary, academia, the Bar Association, non-governmental organizations, as well as national and German legal experts, discussed issues concerning the modernization of criminal procedure.

Participants elaborated on the existing practice of pre-trial proceedings, key challenges in ensuring the adversarial principle in criminal proceedings and new approaches to the competitive selection of judges. Particular attention was paid to citizens' involvement in justice delivery, including the extension of the jurisdiction of jury trials in Kazakhstan. Experts shared their thoughts on procedural guarantees and the protection of human rights in criminal proceedings.

A concept of the draft law on an enhancement of criminal and criminal procedure legislation was presented by the Prosecutor General's Office.

The event is part of the Programme Office's long-term efforts to support criminal justice reform in Kazakhstan.