OSCE supports second national forum of defence lawyers in Kazakhstan
ALMATY, Kazakhstan, 4 November 2016 – The OSCE-supported second National Forum of Defence Lawyers took place today in Almaty.
Some 100 government officials, including those from the Presidential Administration, the Constitutional Council, the Supreme Court, and Prosecutor General’s Office, parliamentarians, representatives of regional bar associations, academia, as well as local and international legal experts gathered to discuss concepts of rule of law and current trends in the development of legal profession held
Particular attention was paid to the major outcomes of criminal justice reform related to defence lawyers and their role in protecting citizens’ rights and providing qualified legal assistance. Participants discussed issues pertaining to guarantees of legal profession within the framework of national legislation and practice, the equality of arms principle, strengthening fair trial mechanisms in criminal proceedings and ensuring the independence of the legal profession as well as judicial practice in cases with involvement of jury trial.
“This forum allows lawyers to speak about how newly introduced institutions of criminal procedure are implemented in practice. We hope that the recommendations proposed by the legal community today will contribute to further modernization of criminal justice,” said Anuar Tugel, Chairperson of the National Bar Association of Kazakhstan.
The Head of the OSCE Programme Office in Astana György Szabó, said: “Such discussions on rule of law issues with participation of all interested stakeholders, including lawyers, prosecutors, judges, and parliamentarians contribute to constructive dialogue, expanding boundaries of all who help administer justice.”
Experts from Armenia, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, the Russian Federation, Switzerland and Turkey shared their experience related to the attorney-client privilege, assurance of free legal aid and the role of new technology in criminal proceedings.
The event was co-organized by the OSCE Programme Office in co-operation with the National Bar Association of Kazakhstan , the Legislative and Judicial Reform Committee of the Mazhilis of the Parliament and the NGO Legal Policy Research Centre with support of EU project on Enhancing Criminal Justice in Kazakhstan. It is part of the Programme Office’s long-standing efforts to strengthen the rule of law and support criminal justice reform in the host country.