Tokayev: judges’ dependence on law enforcement bodies is a serious problem
"The judicial process should be clear and convenient. Citizens are not required to understand all the procedural intricacies," the President said.
President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev took part in the VIII Congress of Kazakhstan Judges, Kazpravda.kz refers to the Akorda press service reporting.
The videoconference of the congress was attended by judges from all regions of the country, as well as foreign experts.
In his speech, the President of Kazakhstan emphasized that both the state and the whole society are interested in fair administration of justice.
He noted that despite the quarantine, the issue of ensuring the rights and freedoms of citizens had not been removed from the agenda. Thanks to information technology, it was possible to transfer the trial to a remote format in a short time, which became a reasonable and optimal measure.
At the same time, the President pointed out a number of shortcomings in the work of law enforcement bodies and courts, which became apparent during the pandemic.
He believes that in order to achieve significant progress in the judicial system reforming, it is necessary to lay fundamentally new approaches focused on the proficiency of judges, the quality of justice and judicial administration.
In his speech, Tokayev outlined priorities that will help achieve the set goals.
Ensuring human rights and the rule of law is the first task.
The second important priority is independence of the judiciary. As Tokayev emphasized, it is an indispensable condition for fair justice and increasing public confidence in the judiciary. A serious problem, he underscored, is dependence of judges on law enforcement bodies. No one should even have doubts about the independence of judges.
The President also drew attention to cases when judges are subjected to pressure from the media and social networks.
He called the proficient judiciary a decisive factor in all judicial reforms. As it was noted, in recent years the requirements to candidates for judges had been raised, and modern selection tools were introduced.
The reputation of judges must be impeccable, and the selection process must be transparent and public. In most developed countries, the requirements for judges are so high that even a minor misconduct in the past can lead to refusal of office. I believe that this practice should be applied in Kazakhstan as well," - Kassym-Jomart Tokayev said.
He also touched upon the optimization of litigation and introduction of conflict-free dispute resolution mechanisms that would help avoid bureaucratization of the judicial process, when overly regulated procedures lead to red tape and generate fair public criticism.
The judicial process should be clear and convenient. Citizens are not required to understand all the procedural intricacies," the President said.
Source: kazpravda.kz
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Today we sign the Treaty on Deepening and Expanding Allied Relations, a historical document, which will give a new impulse to the development of the Kazakh-Kyrgyz ties," the Kazakh President said.
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