SPECIALIZED CRIMINAL COURTS REPUBLIC OF KAZAKHSTAN

Abstract

In this paper, objective factors that served as the main prerequisites for the emergence of Kazakhstan specialized criminal courts are investigated, their historical path of development is described. The true state of specialized criminal courts at the present stage of the judicial system and judicial proceedings of the Republic of Kazakhstan is assessed. The author also outlines further contours of the development of specialized criminal courts and the improvement of judicial proceedings in criminal cases. All this represents the theoretical and practical significance of the topic. The relevance of the chosen topic is given by the ongoing judicial reforms in the Republic of Kazakhstan aimed at developing the judicial system and improving judicial proceedings in accordance with the principle of specialization of courts and judges. In turn, a more in-depth and more expanded specialization of courts and judges within the unified judicial system is recognized as one of the vectors of the development of the judicial system and the improvement of judicial proceedings of the Republic of Kazakhstan. The study of the organization of the structure and functioning of the activities of specialized criminal courts has shown that they are created according to the type of inter-district courts in cities of republican and regional significance, constitute the lowest link of courts of general jurisdiction, consider and resolve criminal cases on especially serious crimes as courts of first instance, including with the participation of a jury. When writing the work, the author used statistical data on the state of crime in the country for the period 2000-2022, as well as on the activities of the courts of the republic, including the number of acquittals for serious and especially serious crimes handed down in 2015-2022. The author pays special attention to the comments and recommendations of the UN on the periodic reports of Kazakhstan submitted within the framework of the state party's fulfillment of its obligations to implement the natural and inalienable rights recognized by the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, as well as on the achievements of the Republic of Kazakhstan in the use of these rights.