EU and Kazakhstan co-chaired workshop to support justice reform

19:13, 27 June 2014

ASTANA. KAZINFORM In the framework of the Rule of Law Initiative for Central Asia established by the EU and led by France and Germany, the project «Rule of Law Platform - Central Asia» funded by the EU held today a "National Workshop on Support to the Justice Reform of Kazakhstan" in Astana, aimed at deepening the dialogue and exchanges of best practices on justice reform and their implementation, in partnership with the Ministry of Justice, the Supreme Court, the General Public Prosecutor's Office and Republic Bar of Kazakhstan.

The opening speech was delivered by the Head of the EU Delegation to Kazakhstan Ambassador Aurélia Bouchez.

The objective of the seminar is to contribute to the processes of rationalising judicial administration, humanizing the criminal justice system, strengthening the status of attorneys and better regulating the market for legal services, and developing forensic activities. Participants to the national workshop followed up the implementation of the Third Joint Ministerial Communiqué in the area of judicial reform (6-7 December 2012, Brussels) and elaborated recommendations in the areas concerned, aimed at facilitating the introduction of international standards of justice reform in support of the planned Government legal and judicial reform programme for Kazakhstan for 2015-2016, while stirring the public dialogue on rule of law between State institutions and the civil society, the EU Delegation to Kazakhstan said. A key element of the EU-Central Asia Strategy for a New Partnership, the "Rule of Law Initiative for Central Asia" project constitutes the overarching regional framework for enhanced cooperation in the rule of law area, aimed at supporting legal reforms in Central Asia and the sharing of EU experience. Under the auspices of the Rule of Law Initiative, the Rule of Law Platform regional project acts as a support mechanism to facilitate policy dialogue and promote the measures contributing to legal reforms in each of the Central Asian countries.

Central Asia Kazakhstan and EU Law and justice