On March 2, 2026, the Law of the Republic of Kazakhstan “On the Prevention of Offenses” (hereinafter referred to as the Law) comes into force.
28.01.2026 15:40:53 174
On March 2, 2026, the Law of the Republic of Kazakhstan "On Crime Prevention" (hereinafter referred to as the Law), regulating public relations in the field of crime prevention, will come into force.
The adoption of a unified Law is aimed at:
ensuring the protection of the rights, freedoms, and legitimate interests of individuals and citizens from unlawful attacks;
improving the crime prevention system, as well as identifying, studying, and eliminating the causes and conditions that contribute to them;
reducing the level of crime;
increasing citizen participation in maintaining public order and participating in crime prevention.
Crime prevention is understood as a set of legal, economic, social, organizational, and other measures implemented by crime prevention agencies and aimed at maintaining and strengthening law and order by identifying, studying, and eliminating the causes and conditions that contribute to the commission of crimes.
The main objectives of the Law are to ensure the protection and observance of human and civil rights, freedoms, and legitimate interests from unlawful attacks, as well as to preserve and strengthen law and order through systematic and proactive preventive work.
The Law defines:
the list and competencies of crime prevention entities;
a system of interagency coordination and interaction on crime prevention issues;
a unified crime prevention system;
measures to reward individuals involved in crime prevention;
liability for violating the laws of the Republic of Kazakhstan on crime prevention.
Key Innovations of the Law
One of the most important innovations is the broad involvement of citizens and local communities in crime prevention activities, followed by incentives. Organizations and authorized bodies in the fields of education, healthcare, employment, and social protection, the media, businesses, the Human Rights Commissioner, and other entities, within the scope of their authority established by law, are also involved in preventive work.
Joint liability is introduced:
akims – for the state of law and order in the region;
state bodies – for the implementation of preventive measures within their authority;
maslikhats – for hearing reports and parliamentary oversight.
Coordination of the activities of preventive bodies will be carried out through the Interdepartmental Commission for Crime Prevention, established under the Government of the Republic of Kazakhstan, as well as under local executive bodies of regions, cities of national significance, the capital, districts, and cities of regional significance. The results of its work will be reflected in the National Report on the State of Public Safety (Crime Prevention) in the Republic of Kazakhstan.
The law establishes a system of crime prevention, including general, individual, and special measures, including victimization measures, aimed at the early identification of risks and the prevention of unlawful behavior.
General preventive measures are aimed at shaping public policy and addressing the socioeconomic causes and conditions of crime.
Individual preventive measures include preventive talks, official warnings, restraining orders, administrative penalties, registration of individuals and families in difficult life situations, preventive monitoring and control, protective orders, and other measures. They are used to specifically influence the legal awareness and behavior of specific individuals or a limited number of individuals in order to prevent crimes and eliminate the causes and conditions that contribute to their commission.
Special preventive measures are aimed at preventing specific types of crimes and eliminating the factors that contribute to their commission. Their application is based on the emergence of challenges and threats to public safety, public order, and the interests of the individual, society, and the state.
The law establishes the following fundamental principles of crime prevention:
legality;
transparency;
scientific validity;
confidentiality;
priority of preventive measures over repressive ones;
comprehensiveness and systemic approach;
individual approach;
humanity;
support and preservation of the family;
inadmissibility of causing physical and/or mental suffering to individuals and citizens.
Individuals subject to preventive measures have the right to appeal the actions (inaction) of crime prevention agencies in accordance with the procedure established by the legislation of the Republic of Kazakhstan.
The law also prohibits the disclosure of information about a person's private life that constitutes their personal or family secret.
The information (explanatory) was prepared (in implementation of the provisions of the law) in pursuance of the protocol instruction of the Interdepartmental Commission for Crime Prevention under the Government of the Republic of Kazakhstan, with the aim of raising the legal awareness and legal culture of citizens.