OSCE Centre supports seminar in Kazakhstan on state prosecution’s skills in court
AKTOBE, Kazakhstan, 12 June 2014 - An OSCE-supported two-day training seminar for prosecutors on basic trial techniques and pre-trial preparation in criminal cases began today in Aktobe, Western Kazakhstan.
The event was co-organized by the OSCE Centre in Astana with the Advanced Studies Institute under the Prosecutor General’s Office, the local independent think tank, the Legal Policy Research Centre, and the Aktobe Regional State University for some 80 regional prosecutors.
Participants discussed topical issues of criminal procedure, including key aspects of the adversarial trial, issues of evidence assessment and presentation, questioning and other tools and techniques that would allow a prosecutor discharging his or her duties in court effectively and equitably. They also discussed national legislation of Kazakhstan and its correlation with international fair trial standards.
Legal experts from the Russian Federation shared their experience and good practices on the prosecutor’s role in court proceedings and improving the quality of state prosecution in both non-jury and jury trial hearings.
“In many legal systems prosecutors play an important role in the administration of justice,” said Nataša Rašić, Human Dimension Officer of the Centre in Astana. “Thus, it is essential to ensure that prosecutors possess the professional qualifications required for the accomplishment of their functions.” She also noted that professional training is key to addressing challenges that prosecutors face in court proceedings.
Saltanat Tursynbekova, Director of the Advanced Studies Institute under the Prosecutor General’s Office, noted that the training seminar will enable prosecutors to improve their knowledge of international fair trial standards and master basic trial techniques.
The training seminar is part of the Centre’s activities on strengthening the capacity-building of law enforcement agencies in connection with ongoing criminal justice reform in Kazakhstan.