OSCE Centre in Astana supports dialogue on penal, criminal legislation
ALMATY, Kazakhstan, 21 September 2011 – A two-day conference supported by the OSCE Centre in Astana concluded today in Almaty.
The conference brought together state officials, representatives of non-governmental organizations, academia and the expert community to discuss draft criminal and criminal procedure codes.
The first day of the conference focused on criminal sanctions, the death penalty, exemption from liability and specifically on issues of criminal liability for terrorism, cybercrimes, decriminalization of libel, juvenile delinquency and corporate criminal liability. On the second day participants examined pre-trial stage proceedings, the initiation of criminal investigations, and trials by jury.
As a result of the conference, a set of recommendations on the draft criminal and criminal procedure laws were prepared.
"Such meetings are meant to help state agencies, national human rights protection bodies, legal scholars and civil society exchange opinions and reach consent on complex penal legislation reform issues and adopt new generation criminal and criminal procedure codes in Kazakhstan, which would take into account the country’s international commitments and reflect present-day challenges,” said Ambassador Natalia Zarudna, the Head of the OSCE Centre in Astana.
"Preparation of the new Criminal Procedure Code of the Republic of Kazakhstan requires the involvement of representatives of expert community, civil society and sufficient amount of time," said the Deputy director of the Legal Policy Research Centre Tatyana Zinovich. "The active participation of experts in elaboration process would help to avoid past mistakes and bring Kazakhstan's criminal procedure legislation closer to compliance with international commitments, in particular of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights."
The event was jointly organized by the OSCE Centre in Astana, the Dutch Embassy in Astana, and NGOs the Legal Policy Research Centre, the International Legal Initiative and the Charter for Human Rights.