In a boost for proponents of justice reform in Kazakhstan, citizens and businesses are now winning more than half of administrative court cases against government agencies. President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev said, citing what he described as the growing impact of the country’s administrative justice reforms.
Speaking at an Astana forum entitled Administrative Justice and Its Role in Ensuring the Rule of Law, Tokayev said the introduction of administrative courts had significantly improved citizens’ ability to challenge government decisions and defend their rights.
“It must be acknowledged that in the past it was far more difficult for citizens to challenge the actions of government agencies and protect their rights,” he said. “With the introduction of administrative justice, the situation has changed fundamentally.”
In a separate statement, Supreme Court Chairman Aslambek Mergaliyev, noted that the share of cases won by citizens and businesses against state bodies has risen from 15% to nearly 60% over the past five years.
“Behind these figures are removed administrative barriers and restored rights for individual citizens, entrepreneurs and investors,” Mergaliyev told participants at the forum.
The president noted that under the current system, government bodies are legally required to demonstrate the legality of their decisions and actions, while courts place greater emphasis on evidence gathering and procedural fairness.
Tokayev said those changes had helped challenge the longstanding perception that courts usually side with the authorities.
“This is a concrete result of administrative justice reforms,” he said.
Tokayev said Kazakhstan’s next objective is to move beyond resolving disputes after they arise and instead focus on managing legal and administrative risks before conflicts reach the courts. As part of that effort, he highlighted the government’s use of the eOtinish digital platform, which allows citizens and legal entities to submit complaints, appeals, information requests and suggestions to state bodies electronically.
According to the president, nearly 16 million submissions have been filed through the platform over the past five years. He said authorities must now ensure greater consistency in administrative decisions at both national and local levels to prevent recurring disputes over the same issues.
Tokayev paid particular attention to investor-related disputes, noting that courts rule in favor of investors in up to 80% of such cases.
“In meetings with domestic and foreign investors, I consistently stress that the government and business community must engage constructively, openly discuss problems and jointly seek solutions,” he said.
At the same time, he added that any compromise reached between officials and investors must remain fully consistent with the law.
The remarks come as Kazakhstan seeks to link legal reform more closely to its investment agenda. The government has set a target of attracting $62.7 billion in total investment in 2026, including $25.5 billion in foreign capital, while also transferring the investment ombudsman role to the Prosecutor General and creating a Committee for the Protection of Investors’ Rights.
That said, the administrative justice figures tell only part of the story. Kazakhstan continues to face broader questions over corruption, judicial independence and the use of law in politically sensitive cases. Recent reforms have given citizens and businesses stronger tools in disputes with state bodies, but the next test will be whether those gains translate into more consistent administrative practice before cases reach court.
