A conference on the "State governance and legal system reforms in the process of democratization and modernization of the country: practice and efficiency" was held at the Academy of State and Public Construction under the President of Uzbekistan, UzA reported.

The event was organized by the Senate Committee for Legislation and Judicial-Legal Issues in close cooperation with the Academy of State and Public Construction.

In his speech at the joint session of Oliy Majlis, Cabinet of Ministers and the Apparatus of the President held on the occasion of the 16th anniversary of the country’s independence, the President of Uzbekistan Islam Karimov called the second phase of Uzbekistan’s development as a period of active reforms and modernization of the country, and emphasized that "the main and key task for this period of reforms in the state governance should be sequential and gradual transition from a powerful state, which was obviously needed in the conditions of economic transition and state establishment, to a powerful civil society."

During the conference it was noted that as the tasks aimed at democratization and modernization of the country were being implemented, special importance was given to the intensification of reforms in the sphere of state administration and legal system. With the establishment of a bicameral parliament in the country, real opportunities were created for improving the quality and justification of the legislative acts being passed, for creating an effective balance of powers system, for ensuring that both general state and regional interests are taken account of, and for expanding the participation of the population in the public and political life. With the aim of ensuring the general balance of powers between the legislative and the executive branches, a part of the President’s authority has been transferred to the Senate, and the rights and authority of the Prime Minister have been expanded.

In the intensification of the democratic reforms, the adoption of the Constitutional Law "On strengthening the role of political parties in the renewal and further democratization of the state governance and modernization of the country" was of key importance. The law defines the status of the parliamentary majority and parliamentary opposition, the election of the heads of fractions by the deputy Speakers of the Legislative Chamber.

The formed legal base is intended to make political parties an important instrument of political and social activity of citizens, raise their role in the activity of the country’s parliament. It is also intended to assist the formation of the representative and executive government branches, and execution of control over them.

In the course of the intensification of the state government reforms a number of responsibilities and functions of central agencies were re-delegated to local government bodies, citizens’ self-government bodies, particularly in the issues concerning the solution of economic and social problems, the financing of budget organizations, municipal administration and welfare, employment and protection of the population’s interests.

Participants of the conference noted that over the past period, the country has implemented a new concept of deep reforms and liberalization of legal system: in the process of the assignment of the specialization to courts, courts for civil and criminal cases were created; courts were freed of the functions they are not purposed to perform, such as execution of the court decisions. Measures were implemented to liberalise the system of criminal punishment; starting from 1 January 2008, courts will have the right to issue arrest sanctions; and capital punishment has been replaced with life sentence. According to the results of liberalization and humanization of criminal legislation, about 75% of crime types have been transferred from the category of grave, and enormously grave to the categories of crimes not representing significant public danger or less grave. The share of sentences in the form of imprisonment decided by courts in 2006 has dropped by almost 20% compared to 2000 level.

In the course of discussion participants of the conference emphasized the need to further improve the regulatory framework for the intensification of reforms in state governance and legal system, sequential and gradual transition from powerful state to strong civil society. They also exchange opinions and shared practical recommendations and suggestions on the solution of tasks to raise the efficiency of reforms being implemented in the spheres of state and public construction at this new stage of country’s development.

Senators, representatives of the Supreme Court, Higher Economic Court, General Prosecutor’s Office, Ministries of Justice and Internal Affairs, and the teachers and students of the Academy of State and Public Construction under the President of Uzbekistan, scientists and specialists of the Institute for Monitoring Existing Legislation under the President of Uzbekistan, higher educational institutions, as well as the representatives of NGOs participated in the conference.