Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) -- In the new year, we will continue our reforms aimed at ensuring the protection of human rights and freedoms, the rule of law. This was stated by the President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev during his message to the parliament.

As you know, over the past 4 years we have taken decisive steps to reform the judicial and legal system. More than 40 laws, decrees and resolutions were adopted on priority issues in this area.

Justice is a solid foundation of statehood. The judiciary plays a critical role in ensuring justice and the rule of law. From this point of view, we still have a lot of work in this direction.

First. The principle of "one court - one instance", which is being introduced from the new year, should become the main criterion for ensuring justice, legality and stability of court decisions.

Today complaints against decisions of regional courts are considered by them.

In 2019 alone, 13 thousand such decisions of regional courts were changed or canceled by the Supreme Court.

Duplicate courts will be abolished from next year. Supervisory review practice that does not meet the standards of justice will be abolished.

Another important issue: starting from the new year, three categories of courts at the regional level - for civil, economic and criminal cases - will be combined into one court. This innovation will create convenience for the population and entrepreneurs.

Also, from the beginning of the year, the practice of preliminary hearing in court will be introduced as a new procedure. So, if there are sufficient grounds to suspend or terminate the case, the court will make an appropriate decision as soon as possible, in connection with which there will be no need to return the case to the investigating authorities or the prosecutor’s office, as it was before.

Another important innovation is that for the proper protection of investors’ rights, a special judicial structure has been established in the Supreme Court to consider investment disputes and competition cases. The investor can now, at his discretion, directly appeal to the Supreme Court to resolve the dispute.

In the course of the further expansion of the digitalization of the judicial system, our citizens will be able to submit documents online without going to court, as well as to remotely monitor the progress of their applications.

Second. Work will continue on the wider introduction of the principle of humanism into the penal system. In particular, based on international standards, 25 settlement colonies will be phased out.

Henceforth, if the punishment imposed on a person sentenced to imprisonment for the first time is replaced by a milder one, he, instead of being assigned to a colony-settlement, will be sent under probation supervision. As a result of this relaxation, 6,000 people currently serving sentences will be given the chance to live at home with their families under the supervision of a mahalla.

At the same time, the authority to change sentences to lighter ones and to apply for parole are transferred from the penal institution to the newly created Humanitarian Commission.

Third. It is necessary to radically revise in order to improve the system for preventing torture in operational-search activities, investigative bodies and the execution of sentences.

It is absolutely true that such cases, which still take place, cause serious indignation among citizens and harm the international reputation of our country.

The chambers of the Oliy Majlis and the National Center for Human Rights should, within two months, develop proposals to expand the powers of the Ombudsman in the field of torture prevention, as well as to strengthen public control in this area. It is necessary to establish a system of quarterly monitoring visits to pre-trial detention centers and penitentiary institutions with the participation of members of the public.

The chambers of the Oliy Majlis should annually hear the report of the Commissioner for Human Rights on the prevention of torture and determine the necessary measures to completely eradicate this extremely negative phenomenon.

Fourth. Last year, a procedure was established for the direct granting of citizenship of the Republic of Uzbekistan to those who came to our country before 1995. This enabled more than 50 thousand people to obtain citizenship.

How do you see if, in continuation of this work next year, we directly grant Uzbek citizenship to stateless persons who came to our country before 2005 and live here permanently? Thanks to this, another 20 thousand people will have the opportunity to become citizens of Uzbekistan.

From now on, the procedure for granting citizenship directly to stateless persons permanently residing in our country for 15 years will be introduced.

In the context of complex processes taking place in the world, conflicts and standstills in the near and far abroad, we must strengthen our work to ensure peace and security in the country.

Next year we will continue our reforms to strengthen the country’s defense capability. In particular, we will pay special attention to further increasing the power of our Armed Forces, the professional and physical potential of the troops, social support for servicemen and their families, and educating our youth in the spirit of patriotism.

New approaches will be introduced to ensure public safety and create a safe environment in each mahalla.

Reforms will continue to ensure that law enforcement agencies actually become defenders of the peace of the population and the interests of our citizens.

Natural disasters and man-made disasters that have occurred in the country in recent years, fires in the autumn-winter period and many other adverse events require further improvement of the existing system in this area. Many large objects, high-rise buildings are being built in the country, which also requires the creation of a new fire safety system. It is necessary to radically strengthen the material and technical base and human resources of the sphere.

In this regard, the Government is instructed to develop a draft law "On the State of Emergency" and a program aimed at solving these problems within two months.