OSCE/ODIHR assists Kazakhstan's Judicial Academy in launching magistrate programme

ALMATY/WARSAW, 2 July 2004 - A workshop in Almaty from 5 to 9 July will help develop a policy strategy for the Judicial Academy, a recently established training institution for future and sitting judges under the Supreme Court of Kazakhstan.

It is organized by the Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) and the OSCE Centre in Almaty in co-operation with the European Union Bistro Programme.

The workshop will assist the Academy in launching a magistrate programme in September 2004 for university graduates. It is also intended to meet increased retraining needs of the judicial community in Kazakhstan.

"The establishment of the Judicial Academy is an important step in developing judicial education in Kazakhstan," said Cynthia Alkon, Head of the Rule of Law Unit at OSCE/ODIHR.

The main burden lies on the faculty and staff of the Academy as they need to make sure that the qualifications of judges are improved, she said. "The challenges before them are enormous, but we stand ready to offer our expertise to the Academy in coping with these challenges."

The workshop will also focus on how to incorporate modern interactive methods into every-day teaching practice at the Academy. The seminar will be moderated by a team of professional trainers from Kazakhstan and the Russian Federation.