Among the least developed economies in Asia, Kyrgyzstan has been hampered by weak state institutions and a security environment that is not immune to ethnic tensions and social unrest. The judiciary, which had been hindered by political influence and corruption, is now undergoing a process of modernization, supported by IDLO.
IDLO has actively supported a wide range of e-justice initiatives in the Kyrgyz Republic to improve the efficiency, transparency and accountability of the judiciary through digital technologies.
Distance learning, an online library, mentorships for judges, comprehensive training of court chairpersons and regional schools – these represent only part of the plans to transform the Kyrgyz judiciary after exchanges with judicial institutions in Italy, Armenia and Ukraine.
Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan are working together to increase the quality and effectiveness of court decision enforcement mechanisms, by adopting integrated technology solutions and enhancing mutual legal assistance in the search for debtors, their property and sources of income in the two countries.
A disagreement between Kyrgyz retail suppliers and a large supermarket chain could have led to protracted and costly litigation had the dispute not been settled thanks to a mediation procedure supported by IDLO and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD).
Judges in the Kyrgyz Republic are sharpening their media relations skills, thanks to a new training session conducted by the country's Supreme Court.
Running from 24 to 25 July, 2019, the training's objective was to increase the openness and transparency of the judicial system by strengthening the relationship between the judiciary and the press.
In recent years, the Kyrgyz Republic has adopted a new Criminal Code and reformed the Criminal Procedure Code with the stated aim to humanize the system of law enforcement in the country. The new Codes were developed by a group of dedicated technical experts that have subsequently supported the development of a training program aimed at building the capacity of all key stakeholders - judges, police, defense lawyers, and prosecutors - on the foundational understanding of the codes.
Until recently, court processes in the Kyrgyz Republic have not been automated. Manual or paper systems still are required and are the norm although automating all processes has started very actively. According the country’s National Target Program for Development of the Judiciary, automated information systems need to be expanded and rolled out to the whole judicial system, not only within all first instance courts, but also second and third instance courts.
The USAID-IDLO Trusted Judiciary program in the Kyrgyz Republic is set to achieve another success in promoting uniform judicial practices.
Even the best functioning courts, without effective mechanisms for ensuring compliance with their decisions, are in effect perceived as weak institutions, leading to an erosion of public confidence in the rule of law as a whole.