Awards Ceremony for Mass Media Competition ‘Justice – in the Rule of Law’

January 29, 2019

Five winners of a mass media competition for reporting on “Justice in the Rule of Law” were announced at an awards ceremony at the Supreme Court of Uzbekistan today. The awards were presented as part of the Rule of Law Partnership in Uzbekistan, a project of the Supreme Court of Uzbekistan, the United States Agency for international Development (USAID) and UNDP.

Journalists who have covered court processes on television, radio, the internet and in print; judges or court employees who have been active in engaging with the media; and researchers who have studied how the national legal system can most effectively work with journalists were eligible for the awards. Journalist winners were chosen from 70 newspaper, radio and television and internet outlets, who had produce more than 640 stories on recent court reform, justice and the rule of law.

Improving Uzbekistan media’s coverage of courts and the justice sector and helping legal professionals better engage with journalists are a primary focus of the Rule of Law Partnership. The Partnership works to empower journalists, ensuring they have access to information and providing training that leads to a better understanding of the legal system and its processes. Partnership activities have also included press conferences, briefings, and media tours of the Supreme Court and other courts throughout Uzbekistan. Not only does this lead to better media coverage and greater transparency, it also gives the justice system an opportunity to accurately present its reforms and lets citizens know how they can access and benefit from the legal system.

The competition was an excellent opportunity to celebrate the work journalists and legal professionals are doing together to make the courts system more transparent and open.

The competition winners were awarded in the following categories:

- The most active journalist in television and radio broadcasting - Qakhramon Jamolov, “Uzbekistan-24” TV channel’s chief-editor;

- The most active journalist in printed media – Yuliana Moroz, reporter of “Pravda Vostoka” Newspaper;

- The most active journalist in internet journalism – KUN.UZ News portals reporters;

- The most active judge or employee of the court - Shakhzod Bakhtiyorov, judge of Chiroqchi district;

- The most active researcher – Zamira Esanova, Doctor of Law, Professor