Kazakhstan cassation courts overturned 30% of reviewed criminal rulings in first year

September 21, 2026 at 12:43 PM2 min

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Kazakhstan's new cassation courts reviewed 1,320 criminal cases involving 1,717 people in their first year of operation, the General Prosecutor's Office reported. Thirty percent of judicial acts were changed or overturned, including 10 full acquittals and 15 partial acquittals. The courts began operating on July 1, 2025, under a judicial reform ordered by President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev.

Key Facts

Kazakhstan's cassation courts reviewed 1,320 criminal cases involving 1,717 people in their first year.
Thirty percent of judicial acts were changed or overturned, including 10 full acquittals and 15 partial acquittals.
Prosecutor protests improved the situation of 182 convicts, and five people were acquitted.
The courts began operating on July 1, 2025, following a judicial reform ordered by President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev.
The 'continuous cassation' model doubled the number of criminal cases reviewed compared to the previous system.

Cassation Court Reform

Kazakhstan established cassation courts on July 1, 2025, under a judicial reform ordered by President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev. The criminal cassation court introduced a 'continuous cassation' model, under which all criminal cases are subject to review without preliminary examination by judges. The General Prosecutor's Office stated that the new court, located centrally, is intended to shape judicial practice across the republic. The reform doubled the number of criminal cases reviewed, reaching 1,320 cases involving 1,717 people in the first year.

Review Outcomes

Thirty percent of judicial acts were changed or overturned, including those based on prosecutor conclusions. On complaints from participants, judicial acts concerning 381 people were overturned or changed. Of these, 10 convicts were fully acquitted and 15 were partially acquitted. Prosecutor protests improved the situation of 182 convicts, and five people were acquitted. In some cases, actions were reclassified to less serious offenses, sentences were reduced, additional punishments were canceled, the type of correctional institution was changed, or recidivism was excluded.

Procedural Violations

The General Prosecutor's Office cited cases where the right to defense was violated, leading to the overturning of final judicial acts. In one case, a trial was held in the absence of a defendant who was serving a sentence in another institution and had requested personal participation. In another case involving a minor, the court restricted the defense lawyer's participation in closing arguments. These violations were considered unconditional grounds for canceling judicial acts that had entered into legal force.