This Country Profile provides a basic overview of the legal history and institutional structures of the Republic of Uzbekistan (O'zbekiston Respublikasi), based on research produced by GlobaLex at NYU Law School and the Library of Congress. Under Uzbekistan's Constitution, Islamic law (sharīʿa or fiqh) has no legal status.
Country Background
Uzbekistan is a landlocked country located in Central Asia. It is bounded by Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, Afghanistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Kazakhstan. The capital of Uzbekistan is Tashkent (Toshkent). The official language is Uzbek. However, in the Karakalpakistan Province (which is an autonomous republic within Uzbekistan), both the Karakalpak language and Uzbek have official status. The country’s population in 2017 was approximately 29.8 million. Uzbekistan is a predominantly Muslim country, with about 88% of the population Muslim. Uzbekistan is a member state of Organisation of Islamic Cooperation.
Constitution & Legal Structure
After declaring independence from the Soviet Union in 1991, Uzbekistan adopted its current Constitution in 1992, which was amended most recently in 2011. Uzbekistan is referred to as a semi-presidential republic, in which sovereignty belongs to the people and the Constitution is the supreme law of the land. However, although Uzbekistan is officially a democratic republic, the country operated as a highly authoritarian state with limited civil rights under the control of Islam Karimov (1991-2016), who reportedly falsified election results to retain power. Upon Karimov's death in 2016, Uzbekistan's government has become more tolerant, abolishing slavery and releasing political prisoners. Presently, the system of government is based on principles of separation and checks and balances and has three branches: legislative, executive, and judicial. The legal system of Uzbekistan is a civil law system influenced by Soviet law-based concepts. Although historically Uzbekistan's legal system was based on a combination of Islamic law and customary law (adat), years of Russian control has secularized Uzbekistan's legal system.
Constitutional Status of Islamic Law
Although historically, Islamic law was a primary source of law in Uzbekistan, that changed due to Soviet influence. Currently, Islamic law has no constitutional status in Uzbekistan.
Jurisdiction(s) of Islamic Law
Islamic law has no official jurisdiction of operation in Uzbekistan.
Dominant School of Islamic Law
Uzbekistan has no official school of Islamic law. However, the vast majority of the Muslim population in the country is Sunnī (adhering to the Ḥanafī school), though many Muslims consider themselves non-denominational.
Sources of Law for Legal Research
Official Publications
Unofficial Databases
References:
For an extended list of legal resources for this country, see the Library of Congress’s Research Guide, and for a narrative review, see the GlobaLex Foreign Law Research Guide (most updated version, where available). The Constitution is available in the LOC Guide in its original language and at Constitute in English translation. For full versions of past constitutions, amendments, and related legislation, see HeinOnline World Constitutions Illustrated or Oxford Constitutions of the World [subscription required for each].