The President signs law “On mediation”

The law was adopted by the Legislative Chamber on 12 June 2018 and approved by the Senate on 28 June 2018. The document will come into force on 1 January 2019.

The purpose of the law is to create legal conditions for development in Uzbekistan of alternative ways of settling disputes, reducing the burden on the judicial system of the country.

The law extends to relations related to the application of mediation to disputes arising from civil legal relations, including in connection with the implementation of entrepreneurial activities, as well as to individual labor disputes, disputes arising from family legal relations.

However, its action does not apply to public interests and disputes that affect or may affect the rights and legitimate interests of third parties, not involved in mediation.

The law stipulates that the activity of the mediator can be carried out on a professional or non-professional basis.

At the same time, the law stipulates that a person, who has undergone a special training course under the mediator training program, approved by the Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Uzbekistan and also entered in the Register of Professional Mediators, can exercise the activity of the mediator on a professional basis.

On an unprofessional basis, the mediator may be a person, who has reached the age of twenty-five years and who has agreed to perform the duties of a mediator.

The law also states that mediation is not an entrepreneurial activity, it is conducted on the basis of principles of confidentiality, voluntariness, cooperation and equality of parties, independence and impartiality of the mediator.