Deputy Minister of Justice Orozbek Sydykov shared the new initiatives at a meeting of the committee on constitutional legislation. According to him, legal representatives will be able to represent the interests of citizens in civil and administrative courts, acting on the basis of a power of attorney, just like lawyers.
It is also proposed to amend the Civil Procedure, Administrative Procedure, Criminal Procedure Codes, and the Code of Offenses, which will allow legal representatives to participate in court proceedings.
Only individuals who have the appropriate legal capacity and are included in the registry can be legal representatives. Candidates must:
- have a higher legal education;
- have at least two years of work experience in the legal field;
- undergo training and obtain a certificate from the training center for lawyers under the Bar Association of the Kyrgyz Republic.
“Currently, the law allows any adult to appear in court, even if they are, for example, an electrician. We receive numerous complaints about those who were unable to provide proper assistance in legal proceedings. We are talking about the need for qualified legal assistance. If a person wants to defend their interests independently, that is their right. But if they need help, they can entrust their interests to a legal representative. The decision on remuneration is a matter for the parties,” emphasized the deputy minister.
Kubanychbek Samakov, a member of parliament, expressed his disagreement with the bill, noting that it could reduce the accessibility of legal assistance for citizens.
Previously, Dastan Bekeshev, also a deputy, raised the issue that the implementation of this bill could lead to an increase in the prices of legal services.
As a result of the discussion, the parliamentarians approved the draft law.
