We spoke with Foziljon Otakhonov, Doctor of Law and Chief Researcher at the Research Center of the Faculty of Business Law and Judicial Protection at Tashkent State University of Law, about the document’s core meaning and importance, as well as related tasks.

– What is the core purpose of the Decree and its importance for the judicial and legal systems?

– This Decree should be viewed not just as another reform initiative in the judicial and legal fields, but as a comprehensive strategy designed to elevate the administration of justice, which is a key safeguard of human rights.

The Decree highlights six priority areas for developing the judicial system: “people-centered courts”, “a stronghold of justice”, “guaranteed justice”, “guardians of justice”, “digital justice”, and “international recognition”.

The main goal across all these areas is to enhance the protection of human rights and legitimate interests through the courts, aiming to create a judicial system that is people-centered, transparent, accessible, and fair for all citizens.

– The Decree highlights the principles of “people-centered courts” and “guaranteed justice”. What do these ideas mean for citizens?

– “People-centered courts” mainly mean making courts more accessible to the public. The Decree outlines measures to increase transparency in court operations, broaden access to information about proceedings and judicial actions, and reduce bureaucracy within the judicial system.

“Guaranteed justice” ensures lawful, fair, and well-founded judicial decisions, maintaining quality and consistency and reinforcing guarantees for restoring citizens’ violated rights through the courts. Essentially, turning to a court isn’t an end in itself. The primary goal is to restore a violated right promptly, effectively, and fairly.

– The Decree aims to enhance the judicial decision review process and set up interregional courts. What outcomes can we expect from these changes?

– Beginning in July 2027, interregional courts will be created for general jurisdiction and administrative justice. These courts will have the authority to review cases and will cover multiple administrative-territorial units within their territorial jurisdiction.

At the same time, new powers are envisioned to improve impartiality and efficiency in reviewing lower-court decisions.

In practical terms, this means the mechanism for reviewing judicial decisions should become more impartial, effective, and consistent, while opportunities for the timely restoration of citizens’ violated rights should expand.

In addition, district and city courts for civil cases are to be established in all regions from 2027 to 2030. Particular attention will be paid to expanding access to justice for people living in remote areas.

– What measures have been implemented to improve judicial oversight in criminal cases?

– The Decree identifies strengthening judicial oversight at the pretrial stage of criminal proceedings as a distinct area.

In particular, beginning July 1, 2027, investigating judges are to be granted the authority, when considering whether to authorize procedural coercive measures, to request additional documents to verify the legality and justification of a person’s detention and the sufficiency of grounds for suspicion or for bringing charges, in accordance with the international prima facie standard of “reasonable suspicion”.

This will primarily strengthen judicial oversight of procedural decisions that restrict a person’s constitutional rights and freedoms.

– The Decree introduces a “Precedents Registry” to promote consistency in judicial practice. Why is this important?

– This step is crucial for promoting consistency in judicial practice and enhancing legal certainty.

Starting August 1, 2027, the Presidium of the Supreme Court will openly publish decisions that influence consistent judicial practice and update them regularly through the “Precedents Registry”. Additionally, there are plans to create expert councils comprising academic representatives, qualified specialists, and civil society organizations.

This mechanism aims to minimize variations in judicial practices, promote uniform law application, and enhance legal certainty for citizens and entrepreneurs.

– A key practical advancement for citizens is probably the creation of the “One-Stop Shop” and digital court services. What tasks have been assigned in this domain?

– By 2030, the Decree mandates that service offices based on the “One-Stop Shop” approach will be gradually established at court building entrances.

Through these offices, measures will be taken to provide the public with necessary information in one place, offer organizational assistance with procedural applications, ensure their prompt acceptance, and provide practical assistance in using digital court services.

By the end of 2027, it is also expected that the Supreme Court’s my.sud.uz interactive services portal will be improved, its updated mobile application will be launched, the “Samples of Applications to Court” interactive service will be enhanced, and opportunities for interactive searches of judicial documents will be expanded.

As a result, court services should become faster, more accessible, and more transparent for citizens.

– What innovations does the Decree propose to simplify resolving economic disputes and reduce judges’ responsibilities unrelated to justice administration?

– To ensure the prompt and fair resolution of economic disputes and to save time and costs for business entities and investors, the Proactive Case Management standard will be introduced on January 1, 2028. Under this approach, if a judge identifies minor formal deficiencies while considering a case, measures will be taken to eliminate them.

At the same time, instead of simply returning a statement of claim when minor formal requirements are not met, a procedure is to be introduced under which the claim is accepted, and the deficiencies are remedied with the court’s active assistance.

To relieve judges of duties unrelated to the administration of justice, the Court Administration institution is also to be established on January 1, 2028.

All these measures are intended to create conditions that allow judges to devote greater attention to their primary task – administering justice.

– What are the main expected results from implementing the Decree, and what is the essential task for its execution?

– In my opinion, the key outcome of enacting the Decree should be to make the judicial system more accessible to the public and to provide stronger protection of human rights through the courts.

To achieve this, first, courts must be transparent, people-centered, and accessible; second, the independence of judges and the quality of judicial decisions must be ensured; third, applying to court and participating in judicial proceedings must be simplified through the extensive use of digital technologies; fourth, uniform judicial practice and legal certainty must be strengthened; and fifth, the quality of justice must be assessed using clear criteria.

The Decree requires submitting proposals by the end of 2027 to develop a justice quality assessment system and establish the annual publication of a Justice Quality Index in Uzbekistan.

Thus, this Decree should be seen not just as a list of tasks for the judicial system, but as a strategic document focused on deeper integrating the principle that “the court is for the people” into everyday practice.

The primary measure is: how promptly, effectively, and equitably is a citizen’s violated right restored? If all reforms help answer this positively, we are progressing toward a people-centered and just judicial system.

Interviewed by Norgul Abduraimova, UzA