New Steps Laid Out for the Justice System

A wide range of innovations and reform are being made in the legal and law enforcement spheres at the initiative of the President of Mongolia, Ts.Elbegdorj. The draft pack bill initiated by the President, has been approved through the Parliament, or State Great Khural, and will be implemented soon in full scale. The next step for the initiative, innovations in the structure of the existing justice system, will soon be launched.

Before the innovations and reforms are put into place, several laws will be amended. Accordingly, discussions about the draft bill on Criminal Law took place between law enforcement officials and the court sector at the Civil Hall of the President of Mongolia last Friday.

The Amnesty Law has been applied four times in the past decade, releasing some 2,000-4,000 prisoners each time, however, the number of convicts and prisoners still hasn’t decreased. Lawyers believe that Mongolia law is ineffective, as the crime rate has increased by five percent while the number of inmates rose by 18-20 percent.

A decision was made to make reforms to the Criminal Code. A draft bill is being developed, renaming the Criminal Code the “Law on Crimes.” The newly developed draft bill on crime aims to make vested changes in securing human rights and freedom, and includes provisions to re-classify cases related to corruption and misconduct. The present Criminal Code is not capable of resolving financial crime and unfair monopolies but the new law will include those issues.

At the discussions G. Erdenebat, deputy of the State General Prosecutor, introduced the draft bill on crime. The next step for reforms in the court and legal system, which have been undergoing reforms since 2009, is the system of justice and innovations presented in the Criminal Code, stressed G. Erdenebat.

The Deputy State Prosecutor defines the new draft bill on crime as being able to implement the pledge of the President, “to bend the corrupt and straighten the back of the public,” through innovations in the criminal justice system. The current legal system, adopted in 1992 to preserve the values of the democratic constitution, will be improved. The time has come to protect...