Legal Terminology and Translation Issues in the Criminal Procedure Legislation of the Republic of Kazakhstan

This article examines current issues related to the accuracy of translating legal terminology in the criminal procedure legislation of the Republic of Kazakhstan. Particular attention is paid to the implementation of the fundamental principle of the language of judicial proceedings and its impact on the quality of law enforcement. The study aims to provide a comprehensive analysis of the specific features of legal terms, identify deficiencies in their translation in normative legal acts, and develop scientifically grounded recommendations for improving the linguistic support of criminal proceedings. The scientific and practical significance of the research lies in the need to ensure uniform interpretation of legal norms in the state language in order to protect the rights of participants in the proceedings. The methodology is based on a systemic approach and includes comparative legal analysis of Kazakh and Russian texts, content analysis of translation studies literature, and examination of official interpretations and legal acts. The findings demonstrate that literal translation of legal concepts often distorts their meaning, creating risks of violating the principle of legality. The study proposes measures for terminology unification to improve legal translation quality, eliminate ambiguity, and enhance law enforcement practices.

1. Ugolovno-processual’nyj kodeks Respubliki Kazahstan ot 4 ijulja 2014 goda (s izmenenijami i dopolnenijami po sostojaniju na 03.01.2026 g.). URL: https://adilet.zan.kz/rus/docs/K1400000231 (data obrashhenija: 31.05.2026). (In Russian)

2. Konstitucija Respubliki Kazahstan, prinjata na respublikanskom referendume 30 avgusta 1995 goda (s izmenenijami i dopolnenijami po sostojaniju na 01.01.2023 g.). URL: https://adilet.zan.kz/rus/docs/ K950001000_ (data obrashhenija: 31.05.2026). (In Russian)

3. Mezhdunarodnyj pakt o grazhdanskih i politicheskih pravah: prinjat rezoljuciej 2200 A (XXI) General’noj Assamblei OON ot 16 dekabrja 1966 goda. URL: https://www.un.org/ru/documents/decl_conv/conventions/pactpol.shtml (data obrashhenija: 31.05.2026). (In Russian)

4. Grazhdanskij processual’nyj kodeks Respubliki Kazahstan ot 31 oktjabrja 2015 goda (s izmenenijami i dopolnenijami po sostojaniju na 09.01.2026 g.). URL: https://adilet.zan.kz/rus/docs/K1500000377 (data obrashhenija: 31.05.2026). (In Russian)

5. Berger O. (2019) Istorija izuchenija termina: osnovnye teoreticheskie ponjatija terminovedenija. 40 p. URL: https://digilib.phil.muni.cz/sites/default/files/pdf/143733.pdf (data obrashhenija: 31.05.2026). (In Russian)

6. Chironova I.I. (2017) Teoreticheskie osnovy analiza juridicheskoj terminologii. URL: https://termincom.kz/articles/?id=31/?lang=kaz (data obrashhenija: 31.05.2026) (In Russian)

7. Zarkhina S.E. (2010) U istokov nacional’noj jurislingvistiki – pervaja rabota V.D. Katkova // Jurislingvistika. No. 1(12). URL: https://legallinguistics.ru/article/view/2038 (data obrashhenija: 31.05.2026) (In Russian)

8. Gromova N.S. (2019) Juridicheskij termin v pravovom pole i za ego predelami // Mіnіsterstvo osvіti і nauki, molodі ta sportu Ukraїni. Vol. 13. P. 5–9. URL: https://rusexpert.ru/public/statjy-pdf/Gromova2019.pdf (data obrashhenija: 31.05.2026). (In Russian)

9. Chan C.H.-Y. (2017) Mistranslation of Legal Terminology Reconsidered // Comparative Legilinguistics. Vol. 32. DOI: 10.14746/cl.2017.32.1. URL: https://bibliotekanauki.pl/articles/920818.pdf (data obrashhenija: 31.05.2026) (In English)

10. Cao D. (2007) Translating Law. Clevedon, Buffalo, Toronto: Multilingual Matters. 232 p. (In English)

11. Prieto Ramos F. (2021) Translating Legal Terminology and Phraseology: Between Inter-Systemic Incongruity and Multilingual Harmonization // Perspectives: Studies in Translation Theory and Practice. Vol. 29. P. 175–183. URL: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/0907676X.2021.1849940 (accessed: 31.05.2026). (In English)

12. Matulewska A., Wagner A. (2021) Legal Translation as a Complex Cross-Cultural Process // International Journal for the Semiotics of Law. Vol. 34(4). P. 1–16. DOI: 10.1007/s11196-020-09796-5 (In English)

13. Wilson P.E. (2023) Comparative Law Outside the Ivory Tower: An Interdisciplinary Perspective // Legal Studies. Vol. 43(4). P. 641–657. DOI: 10.1017/lst.2023 (In English)

14. Safuani S. Normativtık akt tılınıñ keibır mäselelerı: memlekettık tıldegı zañ şyğarmaşylyğy täjıribesınen // QR Zañnama jäne qūqyqtyq aqparat institutynyñ habarşysy URL: https://cyberleninka.ru/article/n/normativtikakt-tilini-keybir-m-seleleri/viewer (ötınış berılgen kün: 31.05.2026) (In Kazakh)

15. Smağūlov A., Sadyqov M. Zañnama tılınıñ tälımgerı // Zañ gazetı. No. 144. (In Kazakh)

16. Borisova L.A. (2018) O tochnosti juridicheskogo perevoda // Vestnik VGU. Serija: Lingvistika i mezhkul’turnaja kommunikacija. No. 3. P. 141–145. URL: https://cyberleninka.ru/article/n/o-tochnostiyuridicheskogo-perevoda/viewer (data obrashhenija: 31.05.2026). (In Russian)

17. Amanzholova K.B. (2019) Problemy kazahsko-russkogo dvujazychija i ih interpretacija v trudah sovremennyh lingvistov // Uchenye zapiski Novgorodskogo gosudarstvennogo universiteta imeni Jaroslava Mudrogo. No. 7(25). URL: https://cyberleninka.ru/article/n/problemy-kazahsko-russkogo-dvuyazychiya-i-ihinterpretatsiya-v-trudah-sovremennyh-lingvistov (data obrashhenija: 31.05.2026). (In Russian)

18. Jūmağali A. Problemy autentichnosti ugolovnogo zakonodatel’stva Respubliki Kazakhstan na kazahskom i russkom jazykah. URL: https://online.zakon.kz/Document/?doc_id=31267964 (data obrashhenija: 31.05.2026). (In Russian)