OSCE supports online roundtable discussion on access to justice during COVID-19 pandemic in Kazakhstan

The OSCE Programme Office in Nur-Sultan, in co-operation with the Supreme Court and Legal Policy Research Centre in Kazakhstan, co-organized an online roundtable discussion on access to justice during the COVID-19 pandemic on 8 October 2021.

Some 138 representatives of the Kazakhstan Supreme Court, Prosecutor General’s Office, the Ministry of Justice, academia, lawyers, parliamentarians, and civil society representatives, as well as local and international legal experts, discussed current challenges faced by legal practitioners and judges in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. The event provided a platform for dialogue to reflect on online trials and best practices.

Participants produced recommendations for strengthening access to justice during the pandemic. Four national and four international experts shared their views on the role of digital communications in the judicial system.

The roundtable discussion focused on ‘online’ delivery of justice during the pandemic, related information sharing and communication between all parties in court processes, transparency in court cases, decision-making and lessons learned.  

The event is part of the Programme Office’s long-standing efforts to strengthen the rule of law and support justice reform in the host country.