# What Changed on July 1, 2026

> Since July 1, 2026, the Constitution has been in force. New wording on digital rights and enhanced protection upon detention (48 hours instead of 72) now apply. The right to submit appeals continues, while petitions follow a separate process under the Administrative Procedural Code.

Canonical URL: https://constitution.my/p/transition-what-changes-july?lang=en
Language: en
Updated: 2026-07-26

Section: After the Referendum

## July 1, 2026: Concrete Changes

Since July 1, 2026, Kazakhstan's new Constitution has been fully in force. Here is what has already changed for every citizen.

### Guarantees with New Constitutional Wording

**Digital rights (for the first time at the constitutional level):**
- Personal-data protection received explicit constitutional wording. The specific legal grounds for processing, deletion, and remedies remain governed by legislation.
- Confidentiality of digital communications expressly covers messenger correspondence and email. Confidentiality of correspondence and other communications was also protected by the previous Constitution.
- Biometric data fall under personal-data legislation but are not named separately in the Constitution. Whether information must be removed depends on legislation and the facts of a case; the Constitution does not itself create an unlimited “right to be forgotten.”

**Rights upon detention:**
- Maximum detention period without a court decision: **48 hours** (previously 72 hours).
- The duty to explain rights upon detention received explicit constitutional status. Procedural rights to an explanation and legal counsel existed before 2026.
- Right of immediate access to a lawyer from the moment of detention.
- Right to notify relatives of detention.

**Appeals and petitions:**
- Article 35 preserves the right to submit individual and collective appeals. Petitions are governed by Chapter 12-1 of the Administrative Procedural Code; the Constitution does not establish a separate petition mechanism for the Kurultai or give citizens a direct right of legislative initiative.

**Guarantees that Continue:**
- The presumption of innocence, access to counsel, and the right of peaceful assembly were already protected by the previous Constitution and legislation. They should not be presented as rights first created on July 1, 2026.

### Constitutional Court

Citizens may apply to the Constitutional Court to challenge a regulatory legal act that directly affects their constitutional rights. This mechanism has operated since **January 1, 2023**; the 2026 Constitution and updated law preserve and clarify it.

### What Does Not Change Immediately

- The Kurultai is formed after the election scheduled for **August 23, 2026**.
- The Vice President is appointed after the first session of the elected Kurultai; the transitional article allows up to two months after that session for the first appointment.
- The law on the Kazakhstan People's Council is in force and its Secretariat was created on July 2; its membership and first session require separate official decisions.

### Summary Table: Before and After July 1, 2026

| Right / Norm | Before July 1, 2026 | From July 1, 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Detention without court | 72 hours | 48 hours |
| Explanation of rights upon detention | Already provided by procedural law | Receives explicit constitutional status |
| Correspondence and private life | Constitutional protection already existed | Personal data and the use of digital technologies are named expressly |
| Citizen application to the Court | Mechanism in force since January 1, 2023 | Mechanism preserved and clarified |
| Appeals and petitions | General right of appeal already existed | The right of appeal continues; petitions remain governed by the Administrative Procedural Code |
| Peaceful assembly and presumption of innocence | Constitutional guarantees already existed | Guarantees continue in the new text |

## Key Facts

- 48 hours instead of 72: reduction of maximum detention without court order
- Explanation of rights upon detention receives explicit constitutional status
- Digital rights: personal data and communications using digital technologies are named expressly; biometric data remain regulated by statute
- Citizen applications to the Constitutional Court have been available since January 1, 2023
- The right of appeal continues; petitions are governed by Chapter 12-1 of the Administrative Procedural Code, not by a separate constitutional mechanism

## Checked sources

- [Official publication of the 2026 Constitution of the Republic of Kazakhstan](https://adilet.zan.kz/rus/docs/K2600000000) – Adilet Legal Information System (checked 2026-07-16)
- [Constitution of the Republic of Kazakhstan of 1995 (official archive publication)](https://www.gov.kz/uploads/2020/2/11/92594e9ba28352a961ca421505b4b79a_original.146163.pdf) – Gov.kz (checked 2026-07-16)
- [Constitutional Law on the Constitutional Court of the Republic of Kazakhstan](https://www.gov.kz/memleket/entities/ksrk/documents/details/395513?lang=ru) – Constitutional Court of the Republic of Kazakhstan (checked 2026-07-16)
- [Official constitutional documents](https://www.akorda.kz/ru/official_documents/constitution) – Akorda (checked 2026-07-16)

## Verified claim status

- **Citizens' access to the Constitutional Court has operated since 1 January 2023.**
  - ID: `constitutional-court-citizen-access`; status: `continued`; valid from: `2023-01-01`; articles: 72.3 (1995), 73.3 (2026)
- **From July 1, 2026, the Constitution expressly names personal data and the use of digital technologies; biometric data are not named separately, while general privacy and communications protections existed before then.**
  - ID: `digital-rights-explicit-wording`; status: `clarified`; valid from: `2026-07-01`; articles: 21

## Qaz.Vision context

> Согласно переходным положениям, новая Конституция вступит в силу 1 июля 2026 года. К этому времени все основные законы должны быть приведены в соответствие с нормами Конституции.

- Касым-Жомарт Токаев, Президент
- [Source document](https://qaz.vision/dokument/91)
- Evidence: `direct_quote; atom:831; unreviewed`

> Символично, что в преддверии этого знаменательного дня мы открыли поистине судьбоносную главу в летописи нашей государственности – 1 июля вступила в силу Новая Конституция страны.

- Касым-Жомарт Токаев, Президент
- [Source document](https://qaz.vision/dokument/294)
- Evidence: `direct_quote; atom:3368; unreviewed`

> Конституция вступит в силу с 1 июля. В августе состоятся выборы в однопалатный Курултай, а в сентябре будет сформирован Қазақстан Халық Кеңесі. Таким образом, мы вступаем в период больших изменений.

- Касым-Жомарт Токаев, Президент
- [Source document](https://qaz.vision/dokument/96)
- Evidence: `direct_quote; atom:663; unreviewed`

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Source: https://constitution.my/p/transition-what-changes-july?lang=en
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