Kazakh delegation pays a working visit to Berlin on legislative procedures

In cooperation with the Constitutional Council of the Republic of Kazakhstan, the IRZ organised a working visit on the subject of “legislative procedures and the legal monitoring of normative acts” in the German Bundestag and Bundesrat. Those taking part in the event included Igor Rogov, Chairman of the Constitutional Council, and the Deputy Head of the Presidential Administration, Talgat Donakov.

A lively and informative discussion took place at the Bundesrat with head of department Dr. Georg Kleemann, Deputy Secretary General of the Bundesrat and Director of the Mediation Committee of the German Bundestag and Bundesrat. The Kazakh partners reported on the organisation and tasks of the Parliament of the Republic of Kazakhstan and on the responsibilities of the Constitutional Council.

At the German Bundestag, Dr. Birgit Reese, a speaker specialising in “Constitution and Administration” for the Administration of the German Bundestag, started by presenting the tasks and committees of the German Bundestag. She then spoke about monitoring legislation and the legal monitoring of acts. The delegation took the opportunity to ask plenty of questions and outline comparisons with the legislative process in the Parliament of the Republic of Kazakhstan.

The successful partnership with the Constitutional Council and the Presidential Administration of the Republic of Kazakhstan will continue next year. A joint event is already planned for the spring.

Kazakh delegation learns about the “criminal investigation process” in Berlin and Potsdam

In partnership with the Constitutional Council of the Republic of Kazakhstan, the IRZ organised a study visit for Kazakh law professionals to Berlin and Potsdam from 5 to 8 December on the subject of the “criminal investigation process”. The delegation was made up of high-ranking representatives of the Presidential Administration, the Constitutional Council, the Supreme Court, the Public Prosecutor General’s Office, the Ministry of Justice and the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Republic of Kazakhstan.

During the working visit, expert discussions were held at the German Federal Ministry of Justice and Consumer Protection, at the Public Prosecutor General’s Offices in Berlin, at the Tiergarten local court and at the Brandenburg police headquarters. The IRZ also organised a meeting with the lawyer Prof. Dr. Stefan König and a tour of the Moabit penal institution. This gave the Kazakh guests a comprehensive overview of how the criminal investigation process works in Germany and, in this context, allowed them to get a clear picture of individual responsibilities and areas of expertise.

Next year, further advice will be provided on applying the new legal standards in the penal code and in the code of criminal procedure for the Republic of Kazakhstan.

Supreme Court makes a study visit to Bavaria on the subject of “Criminal offences. Accelerated procedure. Domestic violence”

In partnership with the Supreme Court of the Republic of Kazakhstan, a study visit to Kempten and Sonthofen took place in November 2016 on the subject of “Criminal offences. Accelerated procedure. Domestic violence”, in which five judges from various regions of Kazakhstan took part. The event followed on from the seminar in Astana, which also dealt with criminal offences in the penal code of the Republic of Kazakhstan.

As part of the study visit, the Kazakh guests visited various authorities to find out about the relevant topics at first hand. The respective leaders of the authorities welcomed the guests personally and also took part in the expert talks:

  • Dr. Johann Kreuzpointner, President of the Regional Court
  • Dietmar Herrmann, Director of the Local Court
  • Uwe Erlbeck, Senior Public Prosecutor an
  • Chief of Police Werner Strößner.

The discussions at the Local Court of Sonthofen dealt with the classification of offences and crimes in German criminal law and with the accelerated procedure in practice.

Speakers at the Public Prosecutor’s Office reported on the enforcement of sentences in German criminal law and the various types of sentence. At the Regional Court of Kempten, the delegation learned about protective measures provided by the family court in cases of domestic violence.

Police involvement in domestic violence was discussed at the police headquarters for Swabia South/West. The delegation also learned about the cooperation between the police and various counselling centres. The study visit was rounded off with an opportunity for the Kazakh guests to visit a women’s refuge.