OSCE/ODIHR shares expertise on judicial independence and accountability with members of judiciary and legal professionals in Uzbekistan

The role of judicial councils in ensuring judicial independence and accountability was the focus of a seminar in Tashkent on 29 and 30 November 2017, co-organized by the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) and the Office of the OSCE Project Co-ordinator in Uzbekistan.

The event explored international standards and good practices regarding judicial self-governance. It brought together 30 participants, including 25 men and 5 women, from the country’s High Judicial Council, the Supreme Court, the Lawyers’ Training Centre and the Association of Judges. They discussed the role of judicial councils in selecting, training and evaluating judges and the transparency of their work.

“The work of judicial councils is of paramount importance in ensuring judicial independence and securing public trust in the administration of justice,” said Ghenadie Barba, Chief of the Rule of Law unit at ODIHR. “To this end, we commend the commitment of the Uzbek authorities to increasing the capacity of the newly-established High Judicial Council to uphold and reinforce judicial independence and accountability in Uzbekistan.”

“Bearing in mind the importance of issues related to the independence of the judiciary, as set out in many OSCE commitments, and the fact that this topic is now a key priority of Uzbekistan’s 2017-2021 Action Strategy for Development, my Office has offered the host authorities several projects to be implemented in the coming years together with the High Judicial Council and the Supreme Court,” said the OSCE Project Co-ordinator in Uzbekistan John MacGregor. “This two-day seminar is an important initial step in achieving our mutual goals of developing a strong, independent judiciary in the country.”