OSCE concludes set of seminars for defence lawyers on novelties of criminal legislation
On 4 December 2015 in Astana, Kazakhstan, the OSCE Programme Office held the last in a series of five training seminars for defence lawyers, organized in co-operation with the Almaty Bar Association, on the novelties of the country’s criminal justice codes.
The events aimed at enhancing defence lawyers’ capacities to interpret and implement the evolving criminal legislation from both a substantial and procedural perspective. Some 200 participants from across Kazakhstan learned about rules and standards of evidence, rules of procedural agreements, and the related prosecutor’s role and plea bargaining in criminal cases.
National experts provided an overview of the most relevant changes in the methodology of the Criminal Procedural Code, defence strategies, organizational and legal aspects in the examination and questioning of witnesses, and in the collection of evidence, including the newly introduced evidence deposition procedure.
The series is part of the Programme Office’s long-standing efforts to reinforce the rule of law and support the on-going judicial reform in Kazakhstan.