The new procedure was approved on August 14 in a joint decision signed by Azizkhon Umarov, head of the Department for the Execution of Penalties under the Ministry of Internal Affairs, and Shukhrat Sadikov, chairman of the Chamber of Advocates. The decision also approved temporary regulations governing the new system.
Under the new arrangement, lawyers will be able to obtain special electronic passes with QR codes automatically. The system will operate through the integration of the Chamber of Advocates’ E-advokat.uz platform and the Department for the Execution of Penalties’ centralized Qal’a information system.
Three types of appointments will be available.
Lawyers will be able to join an electronic queue remotely and book a date and time for a meeting without visiting the facility. Reservations can be made up to seven days before the meeting.
They will also be able to register directly at detention facilities using touchscreen terminals installed at the entrances to pretrial detention centers. After registering through Face ID, lawyers will be able to monitor their virtual queue on a display in the waiting area. A single queue will allow a lawyer to meet with up to two detainees.
Urgent meetings will be available when required by procedural deadlines or when immediate investigative or judicial actions are necessary. Applications for such meetings can be submitted around the clock through a dedicated section of the system, including outside working hours and on weekends and public holidays.
Facilities barred from restricting meeting times
Administrations of detention facilities will be prohibited from restricting the length of lawyers’ meetings with their clients.
Employees who unjustifiably conceal information about available meeting rooms in the system will face disciplinary action. Internal investigations will also be launched against employees who obstruct lawyers’ work or treat them improperly.
At the same time, lawyers will be required to comply with facility rules. Bringing prohibited items into a meeting room, removing correspondence from the facility or arranging a telephone conversation will be considered a serious violation of internal regulations. Any meeting will be terminated immediately if such violations occur.
