Kyrgyzstan's President Sadir Japarov signed a new law on May 20 that includes significant amendments to the country's Criminal Procedure Code. The law was adopted by the Jogorku Kenesh — the Kyrgyz parliament — on April 3, 2025. According to official information, these changes aim to make court proceedings more open, modern, and transparent.
The new law introduces concepts such as "video-conference communication" and "broadcasting" (i.e., online broadcasting) into the judicial system. Defendants will now have the right to request live coverage of court sessions via the internet, television, and radio. They will also have the right to familiarize themselves with audio and video recordings of the session minutes and to raise objections to them.
Mandatory recording of court proceedings using audio and video means has been established as a legal requirement. If such recordings are not available, this will serve as grounds for reviewing or canceling the court decision.
The law also specifies the minimum amount of bail depending on the severity of the criminal case. These changes are expected to enhance the impact of the bail institution in the criminal process.
So far, official sources have not provided specific information on when the law will come into effect and additional regulations regarding its implementation.
The Zamin.uz editorial team will continue to monitor these legal innovations in Kyrgyzstan and the digitization processes in the judicial system. Do you consider this reform an important step towards enhancing judicial justice?
