On 24 November 2021, an international hybrid round table “The role and place of judicial councils in the judiciary and their current models” was organised by the Venice Commission and the High Judicial Council of the Republic of Kazakhstan in the framework of the EU-Council of Europe joint initiative – Central Asia Rule of Law Programme. The event is organised to support the efforts of the High Judicial Council of Kazakhstan aimed at transforming the Council from an autonomous state institution to a judicial self-government body.

Participants from Kazakhstan as well as from Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan shared their experiences with the European experts on the various systems of judicial governance, the competence of the judicial Councils and their internal structure with an emphasis on guarantees of the independence of judges, on the institutional organisation and on relations of the High Judicial Councils with other State institutions. The round table also focused on the ways to ensure objectivity and transparency in the process of selection, training, and appointment of personnel to judicial positions. The event was opened by the President of the Venice Commission, Mr Gianni Buquicchio.

The round table was organised in the framework of the joint initiative of the European Union and the Council of Europe, Central Asia Rule of Law Programme, co-financed by the European Union and the Council of Europe and implemented by the Council of Europe.

Agenda of the round table

 A video recording of the round table