New code to enhance protection of human rights and freedoms: M. Tazhin

ALMATY. March 15. KAZINFORM "The existing correctional system of Kazakhstan's judicial bodies went through a drastic transformation 16 years ago. The majority of normative documents in that sphere were adopted in 1997, six years after Kazakhstan had attained its independence.

Yet, it had inherited many traits of the Soviet period - fight against crimes was ranked above respect for human rights," Kazakhstan's Secretary of State Marat Tazhin said at a roundtable in Almaty on Friday.

The seminar was dedicated to "The reformation of Kazakhstan's criminal procedure legislation on the basis of the principles of rule of law.

"Throughout the year of independence, Kazakhstan has constantly worked on bringing the criminal law in sync with the standards of a legal state. In his state-of-the-nation address President Nursultan Nazarbayev stressed it was important to adopt a new criminal procedure code," M. Tazhin noted.

According to him, the goal of the new code is to bring the criminal procedure in line with the common international norms and principles, replace the outdated procedural instruments with the new ones, that are more effective and reasonable and, most importantly, to enhance the protection of human rights and freedoms.