This year marks 30 years since the adoption of the current Constitution of Kazakhstan, which was approved by a popular referendum. Over the years, several changes have been made to the country’s basic laws to expand citizens’ rights, support political modernization, and strengthen the protection of human rights. The last referendum demonstrated the people’s will and became an important milestone in the country’s history. As a result, the powers of the president were reduced, and the role of parliament and local self-government bodies was significantly strengthened. An important step was the introduction of the Ombudsman for the Human Rights institution, the abolition of the death penalty, and the restoration of the Constitutional Court, Elvira Azimova, Chairperson of the Constitutional Court of Kazakhstan, has told the Asian Legal Portal.

As Azimova explained, the Constitutional Court plays a critical role in ensuring the supremacy of the Constitution and protecting citizens’ rights. At the same time, she noted that regulations should not only comply with the Constitution, but also be organically linked to it, creating a legal basis for the law and the state’s sustainable development.

Azimova also highlighted the fact that more than 120 countries worldwide have established constitutional courts or similar bodies performing constitutional oversight functions. In Kazakhstan, as in other states, citizens have the right to apply to the Constitutional Court to verify the constitutionality of laws, acts of the executive branch, and international treaties. International experience shows that such courts not only resolve legal disputes, but also improve the legal culture and continuity of constitutional processes.

The revival of the Constitutional Court in Kazakhstan was an essential stage of the constitutional reform of 2022. Azimova emphasized that this body, independent of the legislative, executive, and judicial branches of government, strengthens the state’s system of checks and balances. Citizens, the prosecutor general, and the Human Rights Ombudsman can now appeal to the Constitutional Court to uphold constitutional legality.

Since January 2023, according to Azimova, the Constitutional Court has received over 7,500 appeals from citizens. In her opinion, such appeals do not indicate mass rights violations, but rather reflect citizens’ dissatisfaction with the legal decisions made by state bodies. Citizens, she said, go to court when they believe their rights have been violated and there is either no response or an insufficient response from government agencies.

The Azimova-led Constitutional Court has already issued 252 rulings, including 49 final decisions on the constitutionality of legal norms and acts. These decisions directly impact laws and regulations, which can be repealed or revised if found unconstitutional.

Azimova also notes that the president, the Supreme Court, and members of parliament have already submitted requests to the Constitutional Court to check the constitutionality of laws. The prosecutor general and other state bodies have repeatedly requested an official interpretation of the provisions of the Constitution. For example, the prosecutor general’s request included an interpretation of the prosecutor’s competence in court and legal provisions on housing deprivation.

In June 2023, Azimova presented an annual message to Parliament on the state of constitutional legality in the country. In its message, the Constitutional Court recommended that the government and other bodies address gaps in legislation, strengthen measures to protect citizens’ social rights, and improve procedures for evaluating judges. Special attention was paid to revising social protections for victims of nuclear testing at the Semipalatinsk test site.