Parliament of Uzbekistan disapproves of live online broadcasts from the courtroom
The draft law of the Supreme Court of Uzbekistan “On amendments and additions to certain legislative acts of the Republic of Uzbekistan aimed at the effective use of information and communication technologies in the activities of the courts” was super-liberal for the current state of Uzbek society, and therefore it did not suit the deputies of the Parliament. This conclusion follows from the decision of the parliamentarians of lower house on October 21 not to consider the draft law on direct online broadcasts from the courtroom.
According to the initiator, the draft law was aimed at “raising the legal awareness of citizens, early warning of crimes and the prevention of family disputes, as well as other offenses”. It provided for the creation of a legal framework for the direct broadcasting of court hearings in civil, economic, administrative and criminal cases on radio, television and Internet. For such a broadcast, it would be necessary to obtain the permission of the judge and take into account the views of the parties, as well as observe the safety of the participants in the proceedings and prevent the disclosure of confidential information.
Uzbekistan has already practiced online broadcasting of court hearings. Pilot projects were implemented in the courts of Khorezm, Surkhandarya and Namangan regions. By the end of the year, it was planned to connect another 22 courts to the system, and during 2019 – more than 100 courts.
One of Tashkent lawyers is sure that “the broadcast from the courtroom was explained by a socially significant interest, for example, to resonant cases of corruption, a crime against the individual and the state”.
In contrast to this opinion were the arguments of elected representatives. “Deputies raised the question of whether it would undermine the national interests. And is our society ready for this?” the press service of the lower house explained. The residents of the country, who were discussing the news, were surprised by the opinion of Akmal Umirzakov, a member of the party “Milliy Tiklanish”, that “live broadcasting on television or social media of court proceedings between the parties could have a negative impact on people, especially young people”. The deputies recalled the presumption of innocence, although the reputation of the Uzbek Themis is still characterized by unjust justice. This is evidenced by numerous processes with a pre-determined indictment in the affairs of believers, bloggers and journalists, civic activists and businessmen.
In a recent statement, Uzbek lawyer Sergei Mayorov directly accuses the court system that “for the retention of their position, judges openly support the charges and agree with the position of prosecutors. The lack of independence can be traced throughout the judicial vertical: from district courts to the Supreme Court”.
