On September 27, President Shavkat Mirziyoyev signed amendments to the Criminal Procedure Code, the Ministry of Justice of Uzbekistan reported. The will take effect on January 1, 2024.
According to the amendments, the timeline for filing appeals and protests against the verdict will be reduced from 20 days to 10 days.
While, the legality, validity and fairness of the sentence can be verified through the appellate, cassation and review procedures. Prosecutors must participate in the consideration of cases in this procedure.
When considering a criminal case in an appeal, cassation, or audit procedure, the court will not limit itself to the arguments of the complaint or protest and will check the case in full in relation to all convicted persons, including those who did not file a complaint or protest.
Convicted person, his/her defense attorney, legal representative, or victim have the right to file a complaint in the audit procedure against sentences, rulings of the court of first instance, considered in the appellate, cassation or audit procedure.
If complaint is aimed at increasing the punishment or at other changes that entail a worsening of the situation of the convicted person, then a review of the conviction is allowed only within a year after it enters into legal force. The same applies to an audit review of an acquittal or a court ruling to dismiss the case.
Court that passed the sentence must notify the relevant persons within three days that the criminal case has been sent to the review court.
