OSCE Centre supports training of law students to enhance respect for rule of law in Kyrgyzstan

BISHKEK, 27 April 2016 – The OSCE Centre in Bishkek in co-operation with the Human Rights Advocacy Centre and the Kyrgyz State Law Academy concluded a two-day training course for nine competitively-selected law students from different regions of Kyrgyzstan to enhance their abilities to observe and assess current gaps in the administration of justice.

Specialists from the Human Rights Advocacy Centre trained participants on monitoring principles and fair trial standards, such as the right to an independent and impartial trial, the right to a public hearing within a reasonable framework of time, and the equality of arms.

The training course is a pilot initiative of the OSCE Centre within a new project, which was launched in April 2016 to support the ongoing criminal justice system reform in Kyrgyzstan. “The training course responds to the concrete needs of the country and builds on OSCE’s efforts to support Kyrgyzstan in implementing systemic reforms within the area of the rule of law,” said Daniele Rumolo, Senior Human Dimension Officer at the OSCE Centre in Bishkek. “Building the capacities of local institutions and empowering civil society in advocating for positive long-term changes is a key element of the OSCE mandate.

“In addition to the component already in place in the southern part of the country, in 2016, the activities of the project on rule of law will be also extended to courts in the northern part with the scope of obtaining baseline data ahead of the upcoming implementation of the judicial reform.”

Upon the completion of the course, law students will be able to assess the compliance of judicial institutions with existing legislation on fair trial standards in Kyrgyzstan’s northern provinces as of May 2016.

The training course is part of the OSCE Centre’s project on promoting a comprehensive approach to the rule of law, administration of justice, prevention of torture and capacity building.