Uzbekistan drops in justice ranking, trails some African Nations

Senator Abdurahim Erkayev, citing the population's declining trust in the judicial system and signs of regression, announced that Uzbekistan has fallen in the Rule of Law Index of the World Justice Project. He made this statement during the 7th plenary session of the Senate on May 29.

According to him, in 2024, Uzbekistan dropped five positions in the Rule of Law Index, ranking 83rd. The senator attributed this decline to persistent cases of corruption, among other issues affecting international evaluations.

“We have dropped five places in the Global Justice Project’s Rule of Law Index, ranking 83rd. It was a different story when we moved up five places. Now, under the sub-indicator of access to civil justice, which is part of the same index, our country's position has dropped ten places in the past year, from 96th to 106th. We are also behind some African countries,” said the senator.

He stated that this decline reflects limited access to justice in resolving disputes, weakening public trust in the judiciary, and a lack of awareness among citizens regarding the principles of fairness and impartiality when appeals are considered. In many instances, court decisions are delayed or not enforced at all, he added.

Erkayev also noted that the Rule of Law Index relies in part on public opinion surveys, which further reveal decreasing trust in certain areas of the judicial system.

“Where are the results of our efforts to reform the judicial system in recent years? There are no results. This is not progress—it’s a regression. When someone is truly working, there are positive outcomes. But in areas where the results are negative, it means things have been left on their own,” the senator emphasized in his closing remarks.