President Shavkat Mirziyoyev signing a decree on August 14 approving the Fair Judiciary–2030 Strategy for judicial reform, said much work remains to be done in the sector. The remarks were reported by the Uzbekistan 24 TV channel.
"Judicial reform is a top priority. We've done a great deal and continue to do so, but the question remains whether people are satisfied with courts. We need to work together to find an honest answer to that fair question. We must ensure that anyone who walks through a courthouse door feels the fresh spirit of the New Uzbekistan," Mirziyoyev said.
"The judiciary is one of the three pillars of state power. Let the Constitutional Court serve as an impartial judge: what has been achieved over the past 10 years, and what more can we accomplish? We've just appointed a new head [of the Supreme Court]. We are working in the interest of the people - to satisfy them and restore their dignity. Still, it's honest to say that what remains to be done outweighs what has already been achieved.
"We need to create conditions so that 100% of people who go to court trust the process. By 2030, we need a modern judiciary," the president said.
Fair Judiciary–2030 Strategy
Uzbekistan has adopted a strategy to build a people-centered, fair judicial system by 2030. The draft strategy was presented to the president on Friday by Robakhon Makhmudova, the newly appointed chair of the Supreme Court, and was approved the same day under a presidential decree.
Among the measures planned for coming years:
- Five inter-territorial courts will be established to review rulings issued by provincial courts, ending the practice of courts reviewing their own decisions and reducing the need for people to travel to Tashkent in search of justice.
- Civil courts, which handle the largest share of cases, will be brought closer to the public, with courts operating in nearly every district and city.
- A "proactive case management" standard will be introduced in economic courts to speed up dispute resolution and eliminate the need for entrepreneurs to shuttle between offices or repeatedly resubmit documents.
- Investigating judges will be granted authority to review the legality and grounds for detention, as well as whether there is sufficient basis for suspicion or the filing of charges.
- An open "register of precedents" covering rulings of the Supreme Court's plenum will be maintained to ensure uniform judicial practice.
- Under the "Digital Court" concept, at least 50% of applications to the courts will be submitted electronically.
- Applications submitted to the wrong court will no longer be returned to the applicant; instead, the receiving court will be required to forward it to the appropriate court.
- A "court administration" institution, aligned with international standards, will be introduced to relieve judges of administrative duties and allow them to focus solely on the administration of justice.
The reform package also implements special uniforms for court staff, intended to make court employees easily identifiable and reinforce their professional accountability.
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