Russian jurists visit law school

03/25/2008

Russian jurists visit law school

 

Woman & judge

Gulia Kozhokulova (left) and Askat
Sydykov listen to oral arguments
before the Arizona Supreme Court
which met at the College of Law. The
two were among seven jurists from
Kyrgyzstan visiting Arizona this week
to learn about the U.S. judicial
system, through a Congressional
initiative called Open World Program.
Photo by Tom Story of ASU.
     A group of judges and attorneys from Kyrgyzstan witnessed democracy in action on March 25 while observing Arizona's top court in session at the Sandra Day O'Connor College of Law.
     The delegation, which made its first visit to the U.S. courtesy of the Open World Program, a Congressional initiative that builds understanding among participating countries' political and civic leaders and their American counterparts, watched oral arguments before the Arizona Supreme Court in the College's Great Hall. Via interpreters, the Russian visitors heard lawyers argue before the court and students in the audience question the justices about a variety of issues.
     That the court visits the law school annually and interacts with students was especially impressive to the delegation, they said during an interview with a reporter from The State Press.
     "Having this open here in front of the students, that's a testament to the fact that the court really is public," said Gulia Kozhokulova, deputy prosecutor of Bishkek City, the Kyrgyz Republic's capital, and the group's only woman. "I was quite surprised by their professional integrity, the way they answered questions and students would reply."
     Added Ashyrbek Kurmanov, a judge and chair of the Inter-District Court of the Chuy Region, "Unfortunately, that never happens in Kyrgyzstan. The only way our students get experience is when they go to work for the courts during the summer time."
     Nurbek Toktakunov, a human-rights attorney, said he was surprised the justices were so inquisitive and open-minded.
     "I often times come to court and know the judge has already formed an opinion, no matter what I say," Toktakunov said. "You could see the court here doesn't have any preconceptions and treated every attorney equally."
     Askat Sydykov, a judge and head of court in Sverdlov District Court, said he was pleased by the court's strict adherence to the time allotted for each attorney during oral argument, and that their exchanges were courteous.
     "Everything happened as a collegiate dialogue and a healthy adversarial system," he said.
     The jurists, who arrived in Phoenix on March 21, will meet with Arizona Supreme Court Chief Justice Ruth McGregor and judges from the Arizona Court of Appeals, and they also plan to visit the Maricopa County Superior Court and do some sightseeing. They said they'd been warmly welcomed at every turn.
     "We think this is what brings people together, and we find we have more in common," Kozhokulova said. "We think our people would be as hospitable and warm if you choose to come to our country."
     The delegates proudly talked about Kyrgyzstan, a mountainous country that's bordered by China, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan, and is a little smaller than the state of Nebraska. Its population is more than 5 million, most of them Muslim, and the country has at least 80 different ethnic groups. Its primary industry is agriculture, but it is open to foreign investment in many areas, they said.
     Kyrgyzstan declared its freedom from rule by the former Soviet Union in 1991, adopted a Constitution in 1993 and is developing into an independent sovereign state, said Murat Ukushov, director of the government's Prosecutor General Office. The citizens elect members of parliament and the president, and they have freedoms of religion and speech and many others, said Ukushov, noting the death penalty was abolished in 2007.
     The country has a gender policy that requires at least 30 percent of its government employees be women, and more than half of its judges are female, Kozhokulova said.
     "Our women are probably the most free women in the world, and they have many rights of choice -- they can choose to stay at home and raise children or have a profession," she said. "But our women are very kind, good mothers, good housewives, very gentle and loving, patient and tolerant."
     The delegation will be in Arizona until March 28.
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