Judges in Kazakhstan Have Begun to Commit Gross Violations More Often

The number of Kazakhstani judges held accountable for gross violations has increased almost two and a half times, Orda.kz reports.

At a plenary session of the Senate, Supreme Court Judge and member of the Supreme Judicial Council Nuria Sisenova spoke about how often those who are supposed to oversee compliance with laws violate them.

Over the first nine months of 2024, 21 judges were held accountable for gross violations. Over the same period last year, only nine judges were held accountable. This figure has increased almost two and a half times. New mechanisms will have been in place starting October 1, and we will analyze them. But unfortunately, these are the circumstances today, said Nuria Sisenova.

She added that there are currently 300 vacancies for judges in Kazakhstan.

Article 39 of the Law "On Judges and the Judicial System" provides for judges' disciplinary liability. 

As of October 1, a new mechanism for holding judges accountable for each gross violation while considering a specific court case has been in effect. But judges have a specific status.

Two conditions are necessary to hold them accountable: first, it must be proven that the judge committed a gross violation due to their dishonesty and negligence, and second, this gross violation must be indicated in a document of a higher court, signed by a panel.

The Senate is considering the law “On Amendments and Supplements to Certain Legislative Acts of the Republic of Kazakhstan on Issues of Reforming the Judicial System and Improving Procedural Legislation.”

Original Author: Zhadra Zhulmukhametova