Uzbekistan to mandate income and asset declarations for judges and court staff

President Shavkat Mirziyoyev recently reviewed a presentation outlining measures to enhance compliance control within the court system. The initiative aims to prioritize the early detection of corruption risks, prevent conflicts of interest, and raise the professional accountability of judicial employees.

To institutionalize these efforts, a dedicated Compliance Control Service will be established directly under the Supreme Court. Reporting straight to the chairman of the Supreme Court, this new body will also deploy compliance inspectors to regional courts. The service will focus on identifying, assessing, and mitigating corruption risks, removing their root causes, and monitoring adherence to professional ethics and legal standards.

The reform includes identifying specific high-risk positions within court administrations, with plans to digitize processes to minimize the human factor where vulnerability to misconduct is highest. An automated electronic system will be launched to submit and analyze declarations regarding conflicts of interest, income, and assets for both judges and administrative staff. Furthermore, electronic information tracking will be deployed to flag suspicious patterns and disciplinary breaches. The plan underscores the importance of protecting whistleblowers and maintaining secure communication channels for citizens to report wrongdoing.

A comprehensive diagnostic assessment of the judiciary’s resilience to corruption is scheduled to be completed by the end of this year. Moving forward, the evaluation of candidates for judicial positions will explicitly test personal and professional qualities alongside resistance to corruption risks.

Substantial changes are also coming to daily court operations and recruitment. The software responsible for the automated distribution of court cases will be upgraded with clearer criteria to guarantee absolute transparency. Meanwhile, hiring practices for court staff will shift entirely to open, merit-based competitions supported by modern tools to evaluate a candidate's integrity and ethics.

Once employed, court staff will face strict administrative limits. They will be prohibited from engaging in entrepreneurial activities, pursuing interests that create a conflict of interest, or opening bank accounts abroad. The presentation also floated the introduction of a standard official uniform for court personnel to foster better discipline and professional culture.

President Mirziyoyev emphasized that fostering a transparent, honest, and fair environment within the judiciary is essential to boosting public trust in legal protection. He instructed officials to meticulously refine the proposals and ensure the new compliance service is staffed with highly qualified professionals.