On January 13, President Shavkat Mirziyoyev signed a decree on the radical improvement of the system of financing the activities of the judiciary, Norma.uz reported.

Starting from 2021, the financing of salaries and additional payments to judges and employees of the Constitutional Court, the High Judicial Council, the Supreme Court, lower courts, the Higher School of Judges and their staff, employees of the Department for Support of Courts under the Supreme Court and its territorial branches shall be fully funded the state budget.

Currently, more than 70% of the remuneration of judges, employees of courts and bodies of the judicial community shall be funded from the Fund for the Development of the Judicial Power. This procedure does not comply with international standards for ensuring the true independence of judges and does not provide an opportunity to form a solid material and technical base of the judicial system in accordance with modern requirements, the document says.

Until October 1, the following payments shall be made at by the Fund for the Development of the Judiciary, from October 1 of the year - at the expense of the republican budget:

• seniority allowances - for judges of courts, the High Judicial Council and employees of their staff, employees of the Department for ensuring the activities of courts at the Supreme Court and its territorial divisions;
• additional payment for the qualification class and class rank - for judges of the Supreme Court, the High Judicial Council and employees of their staff, employees of the Department for Provision of Courts at the Supreme Court and its territorial branches.

The Decree also approved the wage grades for the wage scale of judges, employees of the court apparatus, employees of the High Judicial Council, as well as the Higher School of Judges, the Department for Ensuring the Activities of Courts under the Supreme Court and its territorial divisions.