The Ministry of Justice has presented a draft law for discussion in the Jogorku Kenesh.
Currently, a draft law is under consideration in the Jogorku Kenesh concerning amendments to several legislative acts regulating the legal profession and the system of guaranteed state legal assistance (GSLA). The main goal of the document is the digitalization of legal services, improving the structure of the Legal Assistance Service, and addressing the shortage of lawyers in the regions of the country.
As stated in the explanatory note, the draft law aims to improve the accessibility of legal assistance for citizens, eliminate bureaucracy, and make more rational use of state resources.
Digitalization and access to legal services online
One of the important aspects of the proposed changes is the creation of an electronic register of procedural documents within the GSLA system. Lawyers will be required to submit reports and documents in the form of digital copies through an automated information system.
The developers believe that this innovation will:
- simplify the document flow process,
- speed up payments to lawyers,
- increase the transparency of the system,
- reduce paper usage and minimize human error.
Lawyers will be responsible for the accuracy of the uploaded electronic documents, which will require changes to the payment procedure for legal services.
Abolition of district divisions and reduction of the number of coordinators
The draft law proposes to eliminate district divisions from the structure of the Legal Assistance Service and transition to online platforms for consulting services.
The developers justify this by stating that the system already has a digital infrastructure: an automated information system for GSLA operates in the country, which includes:
- online consultations,
- a CRM system for citizen inquiries,
- hotline 114,
- electronic interaction of lawyers with judicial and law enforcement agencies.
An analysis of the workload showed a serious imbalance: employees in the regions are overloaded, while the central office mainly deals with organizational issues. Therefore, it is proposed to:
- reduce 15 coordinator positions,
- retain 27 employees at the regional level,
- release 18 offices that will be used to accommodate GSLA lawyers in crisis zones.
Creation of a localized license for lawyers
Another important point of the draft law is the introduction of a localized license for lawyers working within the GSLA system. This license will allow lawyers to operate in specific geographical areas where there is a shortage of defenders.
As of early 2025:
- there are 3,591 registered lawyers in the country,
- 464 are working within the GSLA system,
- in some areas, there are no GSLA lawyers at all (for example, Toguz-Toro, Kara-Kul, Jumgal, Ak-Talaa),
- in 26 locations, there is only 1-2 lawyers.
The initiators believe that the new license will allow directing lawyers to areas with the greatest need for legal assistance, thereby ensuring equal access to defense throughout the country.
Review of the powers of the bar self-government
The draft law also eliminates contradictions between the laws on GSLA and the legal profession, clarifying the powers of the Bar Association in developing quality standards for legal services.
Additionally, it is proposed to transfer to the Council of Lawyers the right to determine the amount of membership fees, which are currently set by the Congress of Lawyers. The developers emphasize that this is necessary for making quick decisions, as convening a congress requires time and resources.
A comparative analysis shows that the membership fee in Kyrgyzstan is only 2,400 soms per year (27 dollars), which is one of the lowest rates in the world. In comparison, the average global rate is about 512 dollars per year. The developers note that the amount of fees can change both upwards and downwards, depending on the economic situation and the income of lawyers.
Flexible regulation of lawyer responsibility
It is also proposed to clarify the grounds for temporarily suspending a lawyer from participating in a specific case, without completely halting their activities. According to the authors, this will help avoid negative consequences for clients in other cases and make the system fairer.
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