Enhancing access to justice: free legal aid and client-centered legal counseling through Clinical Legal Education in Uzbekistan

Abstract

This article explores Uzbekistan's recent legal and judicial reforms aimed at fortifying the rule of law, protecting human rights, and enhancing access to justice in alignment with international norms. Reforms include adopting the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, enacting gender equality laws, and introducing digital tools for legal consultations. However, challenges persist, particularly for vulnerable groups like women, rural youth, and people with disabilities, who face limited awareness of their rights and difficulties accessing legal remedies. The article proposes integrating client-centered legal counseling through Clinical Legal Education (CLE) to improve the provision of free legal aid to address this. Recommendations encompass institutionalizing CLE, incentivizing pro bono work, fostering collaboration with NGOs, utilizing technology for outreach, and implementing legal reform for free legal aid. These measures, alongside robust monitoring and training, promise to democratize access to justice and create a more equitable legal landscape in Uzbekistan. However, challenges persist, particularly for vulnerable groups like women, rural youth, and people with disabilities, who face limited awareness of their rights and difficulties accessing legal remedies. To address this, the article proposes integrating client-centered legal counseling through Clinical Legal Education (CLE) to improve the provision of free legal aid. Recommendations encompass institutionalizing CLE, incentivizing pro bono work, fostering collaboration with NGOs, utilizing technology for outreach, and implementing legal reform for free legal aid. These measures, alongside robust monitoring and training, promise to democratize access to justice and create a more equitable legal landscape in Uzbekistan.