The Supreme Judicial Council of Uzbekistan introduced a national electronic rating program for judges, intended to provide transparent and objective assessment of performance of judges, rating their professionalism and effectiveness. In the last three years, 50 judges with high rating scores have been awarded with the “Exemplary Judge” award. This initiative was the main theme of the two-day seminar at Heaven’s Garden resort that is planned to become an annually occuring platform for discussions on how to improve the quality and uphold the independence of the Uzbek judiciary. We are honored to have Regional Dialogue experts Mustafa Kasubhai, Magistrate Judge for the U.S. District Court for the District of Oregon, and Allison Goddard, Magistrate Judge for the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California, offering an international perspective on training magistrate judges, mentorship programs, and methods for monitoring and evaluating judicial effectiveness. Attendees discussed the continuous upgrading of professional skills and objective judge’s rating systems in ensuring quality in judiciary. Regional Dialogue continues to support the Supreme Judicial Council in its efforts to strengthen the independence of Uzbek judiciary by engaging in various trainings and providing expertise on international standards of judicial self-governance. 

The event was co-organized by Regional Dialogue and supported by the US State Department's Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL).