Appeals will be resolved without going to court: a new appeal procedure has been introduced

The President of the Republic of Uzbekistan has signed a legal document introducing a new procedure for the pre-trial consideration of citizens' complaints about decisions and actions regarding public services. As part of this experimental procedure, disputes regarding administrative documents adopted for a number of public services, such as those in the city of Tashkent, will be resolved before the court.

What is the new procedure important for?

Citizens and entrepreneurs will now have the opportunity to appeal decisions made by public bodies to special Appeals Councils without going to court. These councils will consider appeals promptly, free of charge and transparently.

What public services will be covered?

The experiment will be carried out only in Tashkent, but complaints can be from any region of the republic. The services covered include:

• Registration and re-registration of legal entities;
  
• Registration of voluntary liquidation and franchise agreements;
  
• Amendment of civil status registration records;
  
• Apostille services;
  
• Registrations in the field of mediation, legal advice and forensic examination;
  
• Professional certification in the field of education;
  
• Consumer loans and exam compensation for young people in the IT sector;
  
• Connection to utility networks (gas, electricity, water and heat);
  
• Services related to meters (sealing, comparison, installation).
  

How is an appeal considered?

If the application is being considered in the courts, it will not be accepted by the council. However, before going to court, the Council will consider the appeal of citizens who have filed such a complaint as follows:

• The administrative document is left unchanged;
  
• A decision is made to amend the administrative document;
  
• The administrative document is partially or completely canceled, and the civil service is reviewed.
  

Key points

— No fee is charged for the application;
— A temporary regulation serves as the legal basis;
— The efficiency of the work process is evaluated.

Why is this important?

Entrepreneurs have the opportunity to resolve disputes with state bodies more easily and out of court. At the same time, this procedure is an important step in getting rid of large temporary costs and increasing confidence in the state apparatus.

The Zamin.uz editorial team will continue to analyze and monitor events to see how this mechanism is working in practice. What do you think about this new procedure? Can a non-judicial solution work? Read 'Zamin' on Telegram!