Judges, government officials and NGOs discuss how to promote an independent judiciary during OSCE-supported meeting

ASTANA, 25 February 2010 – How to apply international standards of judicial independence in the selection, promotion and evaluation of judges as well as in the co-operation among the judicial, legislative and executive branches was in focus today during an OSCE-supported event held at the Supreme Court.

Some 150 judges and representatives of the presidential administration, government agencies, diplomatic missions, local and regional non-governmental organizations , defense lawyers and experts from Germany, Poland, and Lithuania took part in the conference.

Participants discussed the “Kyiv Recommendations” on judicial independence in Eastern Europe, South Caucasus and Central Asia issued in June 2010 by the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights.

During the meeting, the Kazakhstani Union of Judges expressed its interest in joining the International Association of Judges. Membership in this authoritative body with 74 global members would serve as an acknowledgement of Kazakhstan’s achievements in the field of judicial independence, and also as a commitment to continue with its efforts to strengthen an independent judiciary.

“All OSCE participating States have committed to ensuring judicial independence," said Ambassador Alexandre Keltchewsky, Head of OSCE Centre in Astana. "It is of paramount importance that judicial independence serves not only as a guarantee of the judiciary’s institutional stability, but also as a tool to provide people-oriented and effective justice to citizens."

The Chair of the Supreme Court, Musabek Alimbekov said: "A strong independence of the judiciary is a precondition for the proper performance of justice. Judges should be free of any pressure or attempts to influence them to guarantee effective protection of citizens' rights."

The OSCE Centre in Astana organized the conference in co-operation with the Supreme Court of Kazakhstan, the NGO Legal Policy Research Centre, the European Union Project “Support of Judicial and Legal Reforms in Kazakhstan” and Kazakhstan’s Union of Judges.