Proposal For Making Pre-Trial Mediation Mandatory In Uzbekistan: A Pragmatic Innovation To Reduce Bureaucracy, Deter Corruption, And Create New Work Opportunities

This article argues that Uzbekistan could introduce mandatory pre-trial mediation for selected civil, family, labor, and low-value commercial disputes. The Law “On Mediation” (2018, effective 2019) provides a strong base, but its voluntary design limits impact. Drawing on deeper analysis of three systems like Italy’s Legislative Decree 28/2010, Turkey’s pre-suit mediation in labor and commercial disputes, and Canada Rule 24.1, this article shows how mandatory mediation can reduce court backlogs, shortens time to resolution, lowers costs, and diminishes corruption risks. It explains why these outcomes are especially valuable in Uzbekistan’s current justice environment and proposes a phased, locally adapted model. Two innovations are developed in detail: first is integrating mahalla institutions into a certified community mediation tier, and second is building a one-stop digital mediation portal linked to “my.gov” services. The article closes with a concrete legislative and institutional roadmap, risk analysis, and evaluation metrics.

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