The Bill “On Forensic Services”, which has been approved by the Majilis, is at the moment pending approval by the Senate.  The aim of this bill is to raise the level of the forensic services to meet the international accreditation standards.

According to experts, passing this bill will help to strengthen the staff and the infrastructure of the forensic services, create the conditions for establishing the research potential of forensic experts, stimulate further development of the institute of non-governmental (private) forensic services, increase legal protection of the citizens and organisations participating in the legal processes, and raise the prestige of the forensic professionals and their social security.

Implementing these measures will require appropriate legal support, which means that it will be necessary to bring into compliance those legal norms which regulate the activities of forensic service providers.

In his interview to Khabar 24 TV channel, the director of KAZGUU Forensics Institute, Professor, Doctor of Law, K. K. Seytkenov, remarked on the novelty introduced by the bill – the Chamber of Forensic Experts.  The Chamber is a non-commercial, self-financing professional organisation, created in order to protect the rights in legal interests of its members, to coordinate their activities, and to ensure that they operate in accordance with the RK Law on Forensic Services.

The forthcoming work on developing the non-governmental (private) institute of forensic services is planned to be conducted stage-wise, as part of the joint project of the World Bank and the Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Kazakhstan “Strengthening the Forensic Capacity”.  The role of project consultants will be played by a consortium comprised of KAZGUU University; Key Forensic Services Ltd. (KFS), a leading company in forensics; King’s College London (KCL), a major British research university; and consulting companies QPA Strategies Ltd. (London) and Astana Garant Consulting (Astana).

As the head of one of the key components of the project, Professor K. K. Seytenov, in collaboration with other legal experts, is conducting a study of international legal and institutional practices of forensic organisations.  Based on the results of this study, the best practices are planned to be incorporated into the legislation and the system of forensic services in Kazakhstan.

For more details about the Khabar 24 programme, follow the link: http://24.kz/ru/tv-projects/proekt-zakona/item/158690-meditsinskaya-ekspertiza