Citizens of Uzbekistan support judicial system reform – poll

August 04, 2010

«Ijtimoiy Fikr» center for studying public opinion conducted a public opinion poll on "Judicial system reforms in the mirror of public opinion" to reveal the degree of information distribution and relation of citizens of our country to reforms in judicial system as well as results achieved up to the present moment.

The poll showed that almost all citizens have a clear understanding that reforms of economy and gradual renewal of public, political and judicial systems are mutually connected and correlated.

This is why almost all adult population (99.6%) supports strategic directions for the development of the country accentuated by the President during joint meeting of lower and upper chambers of Oliy Majlis, including thesis that renewal and modernization of the country are impossible without successful judicial system reforming,

According to the results of the poll, Uzbek citizens understand the main aim and nature of judicial system reforming. Vast majority of respondents believe that it is crucial to increase the level of protection of human rights, to improve the functioning of court system, prosecution, advocacy, to improve the legislative basis, to prevent increase in crime and to bring the system up to the world standards.

As a whole, respondents are concord in high assessment of achievements in judicial system for the years of independence. Absolute majority of respondents (83.7%) noted the tendency to positive changes in judicial system.

Respondents believe that increase of level of legal literacy of the population is one of the main achievements of judicial system. To compare with last year data, the number of citizens "well informed" about their constitutional rights increased from 3% to 89.5 %.

Legal literacy has not only become the part of culture, intellectual and spiritual development but also the necessary factor for successful decision-making on business and industrial issues.

Another important measure for successfulness of judicial reforming, in the opinion of respondents, is the stable tendency among citizens towards respectful attitude to law and the willingness to adhere to the letter of law.

Over 72.7% respondents believe that aspirations of people substantially grew. This evidences their awareness that only supremacy of law guarantees the protection of constitutional rights and freedoms.

The respect of citizens to human rights is increasing that can be qualified as one of fundamental results of judicial reforming. Over 98.5% of respondents support the President in the opinion that human being, an individual, his rights and freedoms are the biggest value.

According to 90% of respondents, sustainable increase of number of individuals feeling their legal protectability is an important achievement of judicial system. The attitude of citizens to the activity of law enforcement agencies (courts, prosecution office and internal bodies) in protection of human rights is also changing. According to respondents, it explains the redundancy in crime.

As a whole, the results of the poll showed that the population highly assesses achievements in judicial system reforming conducted under the guidance of the President and sees it as a main guarantee of construction of truly democratic lawful state and civil society.