ANALYTICAL REVIEW ON INNOVATIONS IN UZBEKISTAN’S CRIMINAL PROCEDURE LEGISLATION BY 2025 AND COMPARISON WITH AZERBAIJAN

Abstract

This analytical review maps the key modernization trends in Uzbekistan’s criminal procedure legislation up to 2025 and benchmarks them against comparable developments in Azerbaijan. On the Uzbekistan side, the study systematizes recent amendments to the Criminal Procedure Code adopted in 2024–2025 and related reforms, with particular attention to the shift toward technology-enabled procedure and stronger procedural safeguards, including the legal recognition and regulated handling of digital evidence. The analysis then compares these trajectories with Azerbaijan’s ongoing procedural and administrative digitalization, including reforms that expand legally valid electronic submission of information through e-government channels and policy moves toward “electronic pre-trial proceedings,” digital documentation of investigative actions, and broader use of electronic evidence.