Legal regulation of confessional relations in Kazakhstan

Abstract

Multinationalism and the presence of many different religious groups in the country can be causes of inter-ethnic and inter-confessional conflicts. A tool to help avoid them is the implementation of an effective legislative mechanism. The research aims to investigate the legal foundations of confessional relations in Kazakhstan, including constitutional norms, norms of laws and bylaws, and the provisions of international acts in the sphere of relations between the state and religion. The system of methods of scientific knowledge of different levels – from the most general methods to special methods of legal science – was used to implement the goal. The study, the model of state- confessional relations of the Republic of Kazakhstan, its basic principles, as well as the existing legal support of this model were analysed and conducted. The authors concluded that the legislation of the Republic of Kazakhstan regulating confessional relations partially corresponds to international normative legal instruments regulating freedom of religion. In addition, the study showed that the model of state-confessional relations in force in the Republic of Kazakhstan contributes to the observance of citizens’ rights to freedom of religion, the prevention of inter-confessional conflicts among religious groups within the country, and the establishment of peace. The practical significance of the results makes it possible to assess the effectiveness of the current mechanism of legislative regulation of confessional relations and to identify the main problems and ways to resolve them.