Baku: Azerbaijan has introduced a significant legal reform by prohibiting individuals accused of child abuse from serving as legal representatives in both civil and criminal proceedings. The measure aims to protect victims from further harm and ensure fair legal representation.

According to Azeri-Press News Agency, the reform is encapsulated in proposed amendments to both the Civil Procedure Code and the Criminal Procedure Code. These amendments specify that individuals accused of causing moral, physical, or material harm to a person cannot act as legal representatives for that person in civil proceedings. Similarly, in criminal proceedings, those alleged to have inflicted damage on victims, civil plaintiffs, suspects, or accused individuals are barred from representing them legally.

In addition to these restrictions, the amendments to the Criminal Procedure Code include provisions for safeguarding the personal data of minors involved in criminal cases. Consent for disclosing information about the identities of minor suspects, accused individuals, or victims must be obtained in written form, with the consent coming from the minors and their legal representatives. This approach is also suggested for incorporation into the Law "On Media."

The proposed amendments were thoroughly discussed in a session of the Milli Majlis and successfully passed the first reading through a voting process.