Modern digital and HR technologies in the selection of candidates for judges, assessment of work and promotion of judges

November 25, 2020

November 25, 2020 -- an international round table was held today to discuss modern digital and HR technologies for use in selection, work assessment and promotion of judges. The event was organized by the High Judicial Council of the Republic of Kazakhstan and the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) in Kazakhstan under the joint project with the Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Kazakhstan, aimed at improving the coordination and interaction between the state bodies in the field of law making. The project is financed by the World Bank Loan.

More than 100 participants took part in the round table, including representatives of the state bodies and the judicial community of the country, domestic and foreign experts, and representatives of the Judicial Councils of Europe and Central Asia, as well as international institutions, such as the Venice Commission of the Council of Europe, the School of Judges of Spain, and the French National School of Justice.

Talgat Donakov, the Chairperson of the High Judicial Council, noted the special significance and relevance of the event's theme with reference to building effective, accurate and transparent assessment processes for judges in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, when digital communication technologies have become even more crucial. “As the Head of State, Kassym-Jomart Kemelevich Tokayev, noted in  his State-of the Nation address , trust in the judicial system as a whole begins to form at an early stage, when selecting judges. The use of modern HR technologies allows us to select the most worthy candidates, while increasing the transparency and objectivity of the selection process,” emphasized Mr. Donakov.

During the round table, the participants discussed the implementation of modern digital and HR technologies into the candidate assessment process for judges. They also touched upon the aspects of the activities of the judiciary councils related to the assessment of the work and career promotion of judges.

In his speech, Yakup Beris, UNDP Resident Representative in Kazakhstan, emphasized the UNDP’s support to the efforts of the High Judicial Council, aiming to be on par with modern judicial systems and introduce digital tools to staff recruitment. He further noted that the reforms in the field of Rule of Law and Justice are among the top priorities in the new cooperation strategy between UNDP and the Republic of Kazakhstan for the next five years.

As a result of the event, a collection of materials presented and discussed during the round table will be published.

A broadcast of the round table is available  here.