Robakhon Makhmudova Replaces Bakhtiyor Islamov as Chief of the Supreme Court
Uzbekistan
The implementation of unprecedented anti-corruption control measures within Uzbekistan’s judiciary has led to sweeping personnel changes at the helm of the country’s highest judicial body. At its session on June 18, the Senate of the Oliy Majlis dismissed the Chairman of the Supreme Court, Bakhtiyor Islamov, ahead of schedule and confirmed Robakhon Makhmudova to the position. The leadership rotation was executed following a formal presentation by President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, who submitted the necessary directives to the upper house of parliament for review.
Bakhtiyor Islamov had been heading the Supreme Court since August 10, 2022. Under constitutional statutes, the chief of the highest judicial body is elected for a five-year tenure, meaning his term of office was officially set to expire only in August 2027. The formal legal grounds for the early termination of his powers, stipulated under the Law "On Courts," were not publicly detailed. Nonetheless, this decision followed shortly after a critical meeting convened by the head of state in early June, which focused on combating systemic corruption within the judicial corps. In the wake of that session, the president signed a strategic decree establishing a Compliance Control Service within the Supreme Court structure, introducing mandatory declarations of income, assets, and conflicts of interest for judges, and launching a resilience diagnostic framework against corruption risks.
The 67-year-old Robakhon Makhmudova, who possesses extensive background in justice and public administration, was elected as the new Chairwoman of the Supreme Court. A 1983 graduate of the Law Faculty at Tashkent State University, she previously served as the chairperson of the Fergana Regional Criminal Court, led the regional People's Reception of the President, and chaired the Senate Committee on Science, Education, and Health. From July 2020, Makhmudova operated as the First Deputy Chairperson of the Supreme Court and Head of the Judicial Chamber for Administrative Cases.
Since January 2024, Robakhon Makhmudova had been leading the "Adolat" Social Democratic Party. In 2023, she ran in the snap presidential elections as the party's nominee, securing second place behind Shavkat Mirziyoyev with 4.43% of the vote. In her election platform, Makhmudova emphasized reforming the institutional model of law enforcement agencies, reinforcing the bar association, expanding the judicial workforce, and broadening narrow judicial specializations. Under her stewardship, the Supreme Court is anticipated to concentrate heavily on the operational execution of the executive branch's new anti-corruption mandates.
The 67-year-old Robakhon Makhmudova, who possesses extensive background in justice and public administration, was elected as the new Chairwoman of the Supreme Court. A 1983 graduate of the Law Faculty at Tashkent State University, she previously served as the chairperson of the Fergana Regional Criminal Court, led the regional People's Reception of the President, and chaired the Senate Committee on Science, Education, and Health. From July 2020, Makhmudova operated as the First Deputy Chairperson of the Supreme Court and Head of the Judicial Chamber for Administrative Cases.
Since January 2024, Robakhon Makhmudova had been leading the "Adolat" Social Democratic Party. In 2023, she ran in the snap presidential elections as the party's nominee, securing second place behind Shavkat Mirziyoyev with 4.43% of the vote. In her election platform, Makhmudova emphasized reforming the institutional model of law enforcement agencies, reinforcing the bar association, expanding the judicial workforce, and broadening narrow judicial specializations. Under her stewardship, the Supreme Court is anticipated to concentrate heavily on the operational execution of the executive branch's new anti-corruption mandates.
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