The 21st meeting of the Subcommittee on Justice and Law Enforcement of the Republic of Kazakhstan - European Union was held at the Prosecutor General's Office with participation of the Vice-Minister of Justice of the Republic of Kazakhstan B. Zhaxelekova. The meeting was devoted to the discussion of key reforms in the field of human rights protection and the rule of law, implemented on the initiative of the President of Kazakhstan.

The 21st meeting of the Subcommittee on Justice and Law Enforcement of the Republic of Kazakhstan - European Union was held at the Prosecutor General's Office with participation of the Vice-Minister of Justice of the Republic of Kazakhstan B. Zhaxelekova. The meeting was devoted to the discussion of key reforms in the field of human rights protection and the rule of law, implemented on the initiative of the President of Kazakhstan.

The Vice-Minister of Justice has reported on amendments to the Law The Law «On Advocacy and Legal aid» and on the state-guaranteed legal aid, as well as on the importance of the advocacy in the law enforcement process. Particular attention was paid to proposals on strengthening the procedural rights of lawyers through amendments to the criminal and criminal procedure legislation.

As part of the discussion the following initiatives were proposed:

- Introduction of a formal criminal offense for obstructing the legitimate activity of lawyers.

- Providing the defence party with the right to get acquainted with all objects forwarded for examination.

- The possibility for lawyers to introduce a defence act, which would serve as a counterbalance to an indictment.

The issues of legal cooperation within the framework of the Conventions of the Hague Conference on Private International Law and bilateral international treaties on legal assistance in civil cases were also discussed.

At the end of the meeting, it was agreed to continue cooperation and consistent work on accession to other conventions of the Hague Conference, which will contribute positively to strengthening mutual understanding and development of cooperation on civil affairs and international investment with the European Union.