Oct. 2014—The judicial system in Kyrgyzstan has long been viewed as a minor player among the more powerful branches of government. Staff turnover is so high that 70 percent of personnel have been with the judicial system for less than five years. Employees work in inadequate conditions and an estimated 90 percent of court buildings are in dire disrepair. Kyrgyzstan’s citizens also report a low regard for the judiciary.

To address high staff turnover and low financing for the judiciary, USAID has provided technical support through the USAID–IDLO Kyrgyzstan Judicial Strengthening Program since September 2011. As a result of this assistance, the judiciary drafted the National Target Program for Judicial System Development and obtained approval from the executive branch in March 2014, followed by the legislature's approval in June.

The National Target Program is the first strategic plan in the judiciary’s history to tie much-needed reforms to specific funding sources. With the approval of a wide range of government entities—including the Ministry of Finance, which has long opposed increasing the judiciary’s budget allocation—the state is now set for increases in financing in the coming fiscal year.

Over the next three years, funding for the judiciary will increase from 0.51 percent of the republican, or central, budget in 2013 to 1.5 percent—an amount in line with international standards for developing judicial systems. Today, this struggling sector has a “full consensus” roadmap for essential reforms.

“If we do not defend and advocate for the judiciary budget ourselves, nobody else would,” said Aijigitov Dastanbai, ex-chairman of the Council of Judges of the Kyrgyz Republic.

The National Target Program will increase the quality of justice and significantly improve the judicial protection of the rights and lawful interests of citizens and the state, emphasizing transparency and access to justice. The program carefully tracks indicators of success, including construction, renovation and acquisition of courthouses; appropriate courthouse technical and security equipment; and rates of computerization of the judicial system and the introduction of modern information technology. The latter includes online publication of judicial decisions and the use of documentation software and automated case distribution in the Supreme Court.

The five-year USAID–IDLO Kyrgyzstan Judicial Strengthening Program is designed to improve rule of law by decreasing corruption, supporting judicial independence, improving the judicial personnel system and internal management, and restoring integrity through increased public access to judicial information. The program is implemented in cooperation with the International Development Law Organization.

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