Prosecutorial Effectiveness in Kazakhstan’s Criminal Justice: The Role of Digital Forensics and Online Trial Broadcasting

Background: This study explores the integration of digital forensic technologies – including online trial broadcasting – into Kazakhstan’s criminal justice system as a key driver of legality, rights protection, and judicial transparency. Drawing on Kazakhstan’s criminal procedure legislation and recent digital transformation initiatives, the authors examine the procedural framework governing digital evidence and prosecutorial responsibilities in a digital environment. Through comparative analysis with advanced international practices, the study identifies effective models for managing electronic evidence, incorporating artificial intelligence (AI), and conducting online trial broadcasts. The article reviews scholarly literature on digital forensics, AI applications in criminal justice, and the challenges of live-streaming court proceedings. Empirical data from Kazakhstan’s judiciary highlight both achievements and persistent legal gaps, particularly in regulating online broadcasts of high-profile criminal cases. Special attention is given to international approaches that successfully balance transparency, data privacy, and procedural fairness – serving as benchmarks for Kazakhstan’s ongoing reforms. From the analyzed sources, the authors extract key theoretical and practical insights to shape a comprehensive prosecutorial model tailored to Kazakhstan’s digital realities. This model aims to safeguard individual rights and public interests, ensure the admissibility and integrity of digital evidence, enhance prosecutorial decision-making through AI tools, and promote judicial openness via regulated online broadcasting. Strategic recommendations are proposed for legislative reform, technological integration, and capacity-building to strengthen prosecutorial effectiveness in Kazakhstan’s digital judicial transformation. Methods: To achieve the research objectives, the authors employed a multi-methodological approach, including: − Descriptive legal analysis to examine Kazakhstan’s legislative framework on digital and forensic technologies in criminal procedure, with emphasis on prosecutorial roles and the regulation of electronic evidence and online broadcasting. − Comparative legal analysis to identify and assess international best practices in digital evidence management, AI integration, and online trial broadcasting, evaluating their relevance to Kazakhstan’s legal and technological context. − Legal modeling to propose scenarios for integrating advanced forensic tools and AI systems into prosecutorial procedures, aiming to optimize evidence handling, enhance transparency, and uphold legal safeguards. − Empirical case studies of Kazakhstan’s judicial practices involving digital evidence and online broadcasts, revealing legislative gaps, procedural challenges, and technological limitations. This comprehensive methodology supports the development of targeted recommendations for reform and modernization within Kazakhstan’s criminal justice system. Results and Conclusion: the study recommends establishing a national digital evidence management platform incorporating AI and blockchain verification, alongside legal procedures for their use and unified cybersecurity standards. Forecasts suggest these measures could reduce criminal case durations by 20–25%, improve evidence analysis accuracy to 90%, and enhance public trust in the justice system. Adapting global best practices to Kazakhstan’s context provides a strategic foundation for modernizing criminal justice and reinforcing the role of public prosecutors.