Venice Commission Discussed Judicial Reforms and Human Rights Protection at its 142nd Plenary Session
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On March 14–15, 2025, the 142nd Plenary Session of the European Commission for Democracy through Law of the Council of Europe (Venice Commission) took place in Venice, Italy. The event gathered Commission members, presidents and judges of constitutional courts, representatives of ministries of justice, as well as leading legal experts and scholars from 66 countries, including Kazakhstan.
Kazakhstan was represented at the session by the Chairperson of the Constitutional Court, Elvira Azimova, and the Head of a structural division of the Court’s Apparatus, Elmira Kaliyeva.
During the session, members of the Venice Commission discussed opinions on various legislative proposals, including:
•Property expropriation for overriding public interests in Armenia,
•Elections, assemblies, and demonstrations in Georgia,
•The High Judicial and Prosecutorial Council of Bosnia and Herzegovina,
•Amendments to the Code of Offenses regarding the forced transfer of convicted individuals for emergency drug addiction treatment in Kyrgyzstan,
•The Law on Protection Against Domestic Violence in Kyrgyzstan,
•The judicial system, the status and disciplinary responsibility of judges and prosecutors,
•The Justice Academy of Kosovo,
•The Law on the Constitutional Court of Moldova,
•International and European standards for the use of minority languages in public life and judicial proceedings at the request of North Macedonia,
•Amendments to Article 99 of the Peruvian Constitution concerning the accountability of electoral management bodies.
In addition to country-specific opinions, the Commission adopted an Amicus Curiae expert opinion for the Constitutional Court of Ukraine on alternative (non-military) service, an urgent opinion on the annulment of election results by the Constitutional Court based on Romania’s experience, and approved comments on Parliamentary Assembly Recommendation 2289(2025) of the Council of Europe, titled “Eliminating Risks to Human Rights and the Rule of Law Posed by Mercenaries and Private Military and Security Companies: A Call for Comprehensive Regulation.”
The Commission positively assessed Kyrgyzstan’s proposed amendments on the protection of women from violence, emphasizing compliance with international and Council of Europe standards in this area, including electronic monitoring and personal data protection. Members of the Commission underlined that international standards clearly state that all forms of physical, sexual, or psychological violence against women, including acts of domestic violence, must be criminalized.
During discussions on legal opinions, the Venice Commission highlighted that legal certainty—ensuring that laws are accessible and predictable—is one of the cornerstones of the rule of law. Laws must be drafted in a clear and comprehensible manner with sufficient precision.
When reviewing the legislative proposal on the activities of the Constitutional Court of Moldova in light of international standards and best practices, the Commission emphasized that the role of a Constitutional Court is inherently linked to upholding constitutional supremacy, ensuring that all laws and governmental actions comply with constitutional norms.
As part of the session, there was an exchange of views with the Chief Justice of Zimbabwe, the President of the Conference of Constitutional Jurisdictions of Africa (CJCA), representatives of the Group of States against Corruption (GRECO), the Committee of Ministers, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, and other international human rights organizations. Discussions covered key issues of cooperation, experience-sharing in constitutional oversight, anti-corruption policies, and human rights protection, as well as prospects for further international engagement.
Kazakhstan’s participation in such international events reflects the country’s commitment to improving its national legal system and strengthening democratic institutions in line with international standards.
https://www.venice.coe.int/webforms/documents/default.aspx?pdffile=CDL-PL-OJ(2025)001ann-rev-e