She spoke out about the increase in membership fees without prior discussion
At a meeting of the committee of the Jogorku Kenesh on constitutional legislation, local self-government, and regulations, the chairwoman of the territorial bar of Chui region, Aizana Niyazalieva, emphasized that members of the Council of Lawyers and commissions under the bar should work on a voluntary basis, without monetary compensation.
In her opinion, the Council of Lawyers does not perform functions that would justify the financial costs of its maintenance.
“Currently, the Council is mainly engaged in collecting membership fees and renewing certificates. If the fee is not paid, the certificate is not renewed. I believe that members of the Council, as well as the ethics and audit commissions, should work pro bono,” Niyazalieva noted.
The chairwoman also emphasized that the decision to increase membership fees was made without discussion with lawyers and without holding a congress, which, according to the law, should make such decisions.
Since May 2025, the fee has increased from 200 to 500 soms per month, but regional bar associations were not notified in advance about this, according to Niyazalieva.
“This issue was not discussed in the legal community. The proposal for the increase was not sent to the territorial bars, and no one knew about it in advance — we found out only the day before. Such decisions should be made at a congress of lawyers, where representatives from all regions are present,” she emphasized.
Niyazalieva added that the increase in fees particularly negatively affects lawyers from remote regions, such as Naryn, Talas, and Batken, for whom, according to the law, there should be exemptions, but in practice, they are not applied.
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