Supreme Judicial Council highlights ongoing threats to judicial independence

The Supreme Judicial Council has reported that interference in court proceedings and attempts to influence judicial independence are ongoing. Specifically, a prosecutor’s representative, dissatisfied with a decision made by the chair of Chinaz District Court, became involved in a confrontation with the judge. The Council has regarded this incident as a form of threat and has submitted a formal request to the Prosecutor General's Office.

In 2024, the Supreme Judicial Council submitted five proposals to the Prosecutor General’s Office concerning interference in ensuring judicial independence and the ability of judges to deliver fair trials. This was announced during a press conference on February 20, with the participation of the leadership of the Supreme Judicial Council at the Agency of Information and Mass Communications.

As a result of these proposals, three criminal cases were initiated, and two cases are under investigation. Furthermore, a proposal was submitted to the relevant qualification commission to annul disciplinary actions imposed on ten judges without sufficient grounds.

"Interference in court proceedings and attempts to influence judicial independence have been observed. Within the Council, there is a specialized unit dedicated to ensuring the independence of judges. If such an issue were not a concern, this unit would not be necessary. For example, recently, a prosecutor’s representative, dissatisfied with a decision made by the chair of Chinaz District Court, had a confrontation with the judge. We viewed this as a threat and submitted a formal request to the Prosecutor General’s Office. An internal service investigation has been initiated regarding this prosecutor’s representative," said Tursunali Akbarov, spokesperson for the Council, as quoted by Kun.uz.

"Pressure can come from various sources. Currently, we are seeing indirect pressure from journalists, bloggers, and lawyers via social media. Pressure can also come from state agencies and higher judicial instances," added Tursunali Akbarov.

As of February 20, 2025, there are 1,518 active judges in the system. In 2024, the terms of 40 judges were terminated prematurely. Of these, 19 resigned voluntarily, 11 were dismissed for violating the judicial oath, and 10 were removed for breaching the Judicial Code of Ethics.