OSCE Programme Office in Astana supports Third Defenсe Lawyers Forum in Kazakhstan
The OSCE-supported Third Defenсe Lawyers Forum dedicated to the important issues of reforming the legal profession took place in Almaty on 8 December 2017.
The event brought together some 80 government officials, including those from the Mazhilis (lower chamber) of the Parliament, representatives of regional bar associations, academia, international organizations, as well as local and international legal experts.
Participants discussed current trends in the development of the legal profession associated with the recently developed draft law “On the legal profession and legal aid”. The draft laws is currently being reviewed in the Mazhilis.
Particular attention was paid to the issues of independence and guarantees of the legal profession, disciplinary proceedings and codes of ethics. Experts from Belarus, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, the Russian Federation, Tajikistan, Turkey, Ukraine, and Uzbekistan shared their relevant experiences with their peers.
The event was organized by the OSCE Programme Office in co-operation with the National Bar Association of Kazakhstan, the Legal Policy Research Centre NGO and the International Commission of Jurists. 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.