Law of the Republic of Uzbekistan
On Appeals by Individuals and Legal Entities
Passed by the House of Representatives on October 29, 2014
Approved by the Senate on November 13, 2014
Chapter 1. General Regulations
Article 1. Purpose of this Law
Purpose of this Law is to regulate relations in the field of appeals by individuals and legal entities (hereinafter referred to as appeals) to state bodies and state institutions (hereinafter referred to as state bodies).
Article 2. Legislation on appeals
Legislation on appeals consists of this Law and other legislative acts.
Relations in the field of appeals to local government bodies are regulated in accordance with the procedure established by this Law.
This Law does not apply to:
- appeals, the procedure for consideration of which is established by legislation on administrative liability, civil procedure, criminal procedure, criminal enforcement, economic procedure, and other legislative acts;
- mutual correspondence between state bodies and their structural divisions.
Article 3. Right to appeal
Individuals and legal entities have the right to appeal to state authorities.
The right to appeal is exercised voluntarily. No one may be compelled to participate in actions in support of or against any appeal.
The exercise of the right to appeal shall not violate the rights, freedoms, and legitimate interests of other individuals and legal entities, as well as the interests of society and the state.
Article 4. Forms of appeals
Appeals may be made verbally, in writing, or electronically.
Article 5. Types of appeals
Appeals may take the form of statements, proposals, and complaints.
A statement is an appeal requesting assistance in exercising rights, freedoms, and legitimate interests.
A proposal is an appeal containing recommendations for improving government and public activities.
A complaint is an appeal demanding the restoration of violated rights and freedoms and the protection of legitimate interests.
Appeals, regardless of their type and form, are of equal importance.
Article 6. Requirements for appeals
Appeal letters from individuals must include the individual's surname (first name, patronymic), information about their place of residence, and a summary of the appeal.
Appeal letters from legal entities must include the full name of the legal entity, information about its location (postal address), and a summary of the appeal.
Appeals may be submitted in the state language and other languages.
A written appeal must be signed by the appellant, if an individual, or by the head or authorized representative of the appellant, if a legal entity. If it is not possible for an individual to sign a written appeal, it must be signed by the person who drafted it, with their surname (first name, patronymic) added.
An electronic appeal must be in the form of an electronic document confirmed by an electronic digital signature and containing other details of the electronic document that allow it to be identified. An electronic appeal must comply with the requirements established by law.
Appeals that do not indicate the surname (first name, patronymic) of the individual, information about their place of residence or the full name of the legal entity, information about its location (postal address), or that contain false information about them, as well as those that are not confirmed by a signature (electronic digital signature), are considered anonymous appeals.
Appeals submitted through representatives of individuals and legal entities must be accompanied by documents confirming their authority.
Article 7. Appeals and the mass media
Appeals received by state authorities from media outlets shall be considered in accordance with the procedure and within the time limits provided for by this Law.
Appeals sent to the mass media may be used to study and reflect public opinion in accordance with the legislation on the mass media.
Article 8. Reception of individuals and representatives of legal entities
Government agencies organize meetings with individuals and representatives of legal entities. Meetings with individuals and representatives of legal entities are conducted by the head of the government agency or another authorized person. For this purpose, special structural units may be created within government agencies, and officials responsible for conducting meetings may be appointed.
Receptions for individuals and representatives of legal entities are held on specified days and at specified times, in accordance with reception schedules.
Reception schedules and information about the time, place, and advance registration for reception, as well as the reception procedure, shall be brought to the attention of interested persons by publication on the official websites of state bodies, as well as by posting in public places on stands or other technical means in their administrative buildings.
When applying in person, individuals must present a document proving their identity, and representatives of legal entities must present a document confirming their authority, as well as a document proving their identity.
Individuals and representatives of legal entities may be refused admission if a decision has already been made on their previous application of a similar nature and they have been notified thereof in accordance with the procedure established by this Law.
Procedure for receiving individuals and representatives of legal entities in state bodies is determined by the heads of these authorities.
Heads or other authorized persons of state authorities conducting personal reception are not entitled to refuse reception when addressing any issues, including those not within their authority, except in cases provided for in part five of this article. If the resolution of issues raised during a personal reception does not fall within the competence of a state authority, the relevant officials or other authorized persons must explain this.
If the resolution of issues raised during a personal appointment does not fall within the competence of the state authority, the relevant officials or other authorized persons must explain to the applicant which authority or organization should be contacted to resolve the issues raised in the application.
During a personal appointment, special technical means (audio and video recording, as well as photography) may be used by decision of the head of the state authority and with the written consent of the applicant.
Heads or other authorized persons of state authorities may organize visiting personal appointments.
Article 9. Case management of appeals
Case management for appeals to government agencies is conducted in accordance with the procedure established by law.
Chapter 2. Guarantees of the rights of individuals and legal entities to appeal
Article 10. Prohibition of discrimination in the application of the right of appeal
Discrimination in the application of the right to appeal based on gender, race, nationality, language, religion, social origin, beliefs, personal and social status of an individual, as well as forms of ownership, location (postal address), organizational and legal forms, and other circumstances of legal entities is not permitted.
Article 11. Guarantees for the implementation of the right to appeal
Individuals and legal entities are guaranteed the right to appeal to state authorities individually or collectively.
Article 12. Guarantees of observance of rights, freedoms, and legitimate interests in communications
State authorities are obliged to comply with the requirements of the Constitution and the law of the Republic of Uzbekistan when considering appeals, to take measures for their full, objective, and timely consideration, and to take measures within their powers to ensure the restoration of violated rights and freedoms and the protection of the legitimate interests of individuals and legal entities.
Article 13. Guarantees for the acceptance and consideration of appeals
Appeals shall be subject to mandatory acceptance and consideration by state authorities, except in cases provided for in Article 20 of this Law.
A natural or legal person shall have the right to appeal against an unlawful refusal to accept and consider an appeal to a higher authority in accordance with the chain of command or directly to a court.
Article 14. Guarantees of non-disclosure of information that has become known in connection with appeals
When considering appeals, government officials are not permitted to disclose information about the private lives of individuals or the activities of legal entities without their consent, as well as information constituting state secrets or other legally protected secrets, and other information if this infringes on the rights, freedoms, and legitimate interests of individuals and legal entities.
It is not permitted to obtain information about individuals or legal entities that is not related to the appeals.
At the request of an individual, no information about their identity may be disclosed.
Article 15. Guarantees of safety for individuals and legal entities in connection with their appeals
It is prohibited to persecute individuals, their representatives, members of their families, legal entities, their representatives, and members of the families of representatives of legal entities in connection with their appeals to state authorities for the purpose of exercising or protecting their rights, freedoms, and legitimate interests, as well as expressing their opinions and criticism in their appeals.
Chapter 3. Procedure for submitting and reviewing appeals
Article 16. Procedure for submitting appeals
Appeals shall be submitted directly to the state authority responsible for resolving the issues raised therein, or to a higher authority in accordance with the chain of command.
Individuals and legal entities have the right to submit an appeal independently, as well as to authorize their representative to do so, or to send an appeal by post or in electronic form. In the interests of minors, incapacitated persons, and persons with limited legal capacity, appeals may be submitted by their legal representatives in accordance with the procedure provided for by law.
The appeal may be accompanied by existing decisions or copies thereof previously adopted in relation to it, as well as other documents necessary for its consideration, which are not subject to return, except in cases where the appellant submits a written request for their return. When an appeal is sent to another state body within its jurisdiction, the specified documents must be attached to it.
Article 17. Deadlines for submitting appeals
As a rule, no deadlines are set for submitting appeals. In certain cases, a deadline may be set for submitting an appeal to the relevant state authorities if this is due to the state authority's capacity to consider the appeal, the need for timely implementation and protection of the rights, freedoms, and legitimate interests of individuals and legal entities, as well as other grounds provided for by legislative acts.
An application or complaint to a higher authority in the chain of command shall be submitted no later than one year from the date when the individual or legal entity became aware of the action (inaction) or decision that violated their rights, freedoms, and legitimate interests.
If the deadline for submitting an application or complaint is missed for a valid reason, it shall be restored by the state body considering the application or complaint.
Article 18. Procedure for considering appeals
Appeals received by a state body shall be considered by that body or by the official responsible for considering appeals.
Appeals received by a state body that does not have the authority to resolve the issues raised shall be forwarded to the relevant bodies within five days, with written or electronic notification of this to the appellant.
It is prohibited to transfer appeals for consideration to other state bodies without good reason or to forward them to those bodies or officials whose decisions or actions (inaction) are being appealed.
If appeals do not contain the information necessary for forwarding them to the relevant bodies, they shall be returned to the applicant within five days with a reasoned explanation.
If additional information, references, and materials are needed for a complete, objective, and timely consideration of the appeal, the official of the state body considering the appeal may additionally request information from the individual or legal entity that submitted the appeal, as well as from other state bodies within the limits of their authority.
State authorities and their officials are obliged to provide the requested information within ten days, provided that the information does not contain state secrets or other legally protected secrets, and does not infringe on the rights, freedoms, and legitimate interests of individuals and legal entities, or the interests of society and the state.
Where necessary, the state authority considering the appeal may ensure that the appeal is considered on site.
If it is impossible to consider the appeal in the absence of the appellant or another person, they may be summoned by an official of the state authority.
If the summoned applicant fails to appear, the official of the state authority shall send a reply stating that it is impossible to consider the application without his or her participation.
The response to the appeal shall be signed by the head or other authorized official of the state authority.
If the issues raised in the appeal concern the activities of economic entities, their representatives shall be invited by state authorities, within the limits of their powers, to participate in the consideration of the appeal.
If, during the consideration of the appeal, it becomes necessary to verify the activities of economic entities, including verification of financial and economic activities (audit), this shall be carried out in accordance with the law.
Individuals and legal entities have the right to withdraw their appeals before and during their consideration, prior to a decision being made on the appeal, by submitting a written or electronic application.
A statement of withdrawal of an appeal does not preclude state authorities from taking measures to identify and eliminate violations of the law.
Article 19. Time limits for consideration of appeals
The application or complaint shall be considered within fifteen days from the date of receipt by the state authority, which is obliged to resolve the issue on its merits, and when additional study and/or verification is required, a request for additional documents shall be made within one month.
In cases where the consideration of applications and complaints requires verification, the request for additional materials, or other measures, the deadlines for their consideration may, as an exception, be extended by the head of the relevant state authority, but not for more than one month, with notification of this to the applicant.
The proposal shall be considered within one month from the date of its receipt by the state authority, except for those proposals that require additional study, in which case the individual or legal entity that submitted the proposal shall be notified in writing within ten days.
Article 20. Leaving appeals without consideration
The following shall not be considered:
- anonymous appeals;
- appeals submitted through representatives of individuals and legal entities in the absence of documents confirming their authority;
- appeals that do not meet other requirements established by law.
Chapter 4. Rights of individuals and legal entities and obligations of state authorities when considering appeals
Article 21. Rights of individuals and legal entities during the consideration of appeals
When their appeal is being considered by state authorities, individuals and legal entities have the right to receive information about the progress of the appeal, to personally present their arguments and provide explanations, to familiarize themselves with the materials of the appeal review and the results of its consideration, to submit additional materials or request that they be obtained from other authorities, and to seek the assistance of a lawyer.
Officials or other authorized persons of state authorities considering the appeal are obliged to provide individuals and legal entities with the opportunity to familiarize themselves with documents, decisions, and other materials affecting their rights, freedoms, and legitimate interests, provided that they do not contain information constituting state secrets or other legally protected secrets and do not harm the rights, freedoms, and legitimate interests of individuals and legal entities or the interests of society and the state.
Article 22. Measures taken when considering appeals
When considering appeals, state authorities are obliged to take immediate measures to suppress illegal actions (inaction), within the limits of their authority, identify the causes and conditions contributing to violations of the rights, freedoms, and legitimate interests of individuals and legal entities, and prevent, in accordance with established procedures, the persecution of individuals, their representatives, members of their families, legal entities, their representatives, and members of the families of representatives of legal entities in connection with their appeals.
Article 23. Obligations of the state authority that considered the appeal
The state authority that reviewed the appeal is obliged to inform the appellant in writing or electronically about the results of the review and the decision made immediately after reviewing the appeal.
Responses to inquiries shall be provided, where possible, in the language of the inquiry and shall contain specific justifications (with references to legislative provisions, where necessary) refuting or confirming the arguments on each issue raised in the inquiry.
An official or other authorized representative of the state authority that made the decision on the appeal is obliged to explain the procedure for appealing it if the individual or legal entity disagrees with it.
The state authority that reviewed the appeal, its officials or other authorized persons shall monitor the implementation of the decision taken as a result of the consideration of the appeal, as well as take measures to compensate for material damage or moral harm in accordance with the procedure established by law, if it was caused as a result of a violation of the rights, freedoms, and legitimate interests of an individual or legal entity.
Article 24. Summary and analysis of appeals n
State authorities that consider appeals shall summarize and analyze appeals at least once a year in order to identify and eliminate the causes of violations of the rights, freedoms, and legitimate interests of individuals and legal entities, as well as the interests of society and the state.
Chapter 5. Final Provisions
Article 25. Dispute Resolution
Disputes involving individuals and legal entities shall be resolved in accordance with the procedure established by law.
Article 26. Compensation for material damage and compensation for moral damage
If a state authority that made an unlawful decision on an application or complaint filed by a natural or legal person satisfies that application or complaint, the person who appealed to the court shall be compensated for the damages associated with filing and reviewing the application or complaint, expenses incurred in connection with traveling to the location to consider the application or complaint at the request of the relevant state authority, and lost earnings during this time. Moral damage may also be compensated in court.
Funds paid by a state authority as compensation for material damage and moral harm caused to a natural or legal person in connection with a violation of the requirements of the law when considering their application or complaint may be recovered from the guilty official by way of recourse.
Article 27. Reimbursement of expenses incurred in reviewing appeals containing knowingly false information
Expenses incurred by a state authority in reviewing appeals containing knowingly false information may be recovered from an individual or legal entity by court order.
Article 28. Liability for violation of legislation on appeals
Violation of the law on appeals, as well as the submission of appeals containing slander and insults, shall entail liability in accordance with the established procedure.
Article 29. Recognition of certain legislative acts as invalid
- Law of the Republic of Uzbekistan No. 1064-XII of May 6, 1994, “On Citizens' Appeals” (Bulletin of the Supreme Council of the Republic of Uzbekistan, 1994, No. 5, Art. 140);
- Resolution of the Supreme Council of the Republic of Uzbekistan No. 1065-XII of May 6, 1994, “On the Enactment of the Law of the Republic of Uzbekistan ”On Citizens' Appeals" (Bulletin of the Supreme Council of the Republic of Uzbekistan, 1994, No. 5, Art. 141);
- Law of the Republic of Uzbekistan No. 446-II of December 13, 2002, “On Amendments and Additions to the Law of the Republic of Uzbekistan ”On Citizens' Appeals" (Bulletin of the Oliy Majlis of the Republic of Uzbekistan, 2003, No. 1, Art. 7).
Article 30. Bringing legislation into line with the present Law
Cabinet of Ministers of the Republic of Uzbekistan:
- align government decisions with this Law;
- ensure that state authorities review and repeal their regulatory acts that contradict this Law.
Article 31. Entry into force of this Law
This Law shall enter into force on the date of its official publication.
