OSCE Project Co-ordinator in Uzbekistan

Supporting judicial and legal reforms

In 2011 and 2012, jointly with the Research Centre on Democratization and Liberalization of Judicial Legislation and Ensuring the Independence of the Judicial System under the Supreme Court, the Project Co-ordinator worked on building the capacity of judges to apply international legal norms, on disseminating information among judges about Uzbekistan’s existing commitments within the OSCE framework, and on facilitating academic activities and research, including the development of conceptual principles, for the next stages of judicial and legal reform.

In 2013, jointly with the OSCE’s Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights, the Project Co-ordinator is planning to organize a seminar on international fair-trial standards for a mixed group of judges and defence lawyers from Uzbekistan, as well as a workshop on international good practices in selecting and appointing judges in co-operation with national counterparts.

Improving legal education

An important step in promoting rule-of-law principles is the creation of a sustainable system for retraining legal practitioners that meets modern requirements. In order to improve the existing system and target personnel from various justice agencies and the courts, as well as defence lawyers, law teachers, and legal services of state structures, the Project Co-ordinator began implementing a joint project in 2009 with the Justice Ministry’s Lawyers Training Centre.

Judicial ethics are an important element in ensuring the fair administration of justice and the right to a fair trial. Bearing this in mind, the Project Co-ordinator is planning to conduct a seminar on contemporary requirements for judicial ethics in the justice system with the involvement of experts from the OSCE region.

In order to learn from international experiences and to develop recommendations to improve and speed up the process for introducing e-justice at all levels of the judicial system, the Project Co-ordinator will provide support for a seminar on electronic justice as an important factor in ensuring citizens’ right to access the courts.

During 2103, the Project Co-ordinator is also planning to provide assistance for the development of two manuals on international standards for defence lawyers and about the judicial bodies of foreign countries. In addition, support will be provided for the translation and printing of handbooks on human rights protection designed for training-centre students.