Understanding the Legal Culture in Uzbekistan Through an Analysis of Business Disputes in Economic Courts

More than one million economic agreements are concluded in Uzbekistan annually, indicative of ever-increasing business activities in the country. In turn from a legal standpoint, these developments may lead to numerous business disputes, since one of the parties may refuse or be unable to fulfil contractual obligations. Given the prevalence of informal law in Uzbekistan, it is highly likely that parties will attempt to resolve their disputes through informal, extra-legal means. However, since Uzbekistan launched legal reforms in 2018 specifically emphasising increasing access to courts, citizens might be more inclined to resolve their disputes through formal legal channels. Thus, analysing business disputes allows us to shed light on the legal consciousness (legal culture) amongst different members of society, such as legal practitioners, entrepreneurs, and ordinary citizens. Based on these considerations, we provide a socio-legal investigation of the legal consciousness (legal culture) of legal practitioners, entrepreneurs, and ordinary citizens in Uzbekistan by analysing economic court decisions. The analysis of economic court decisions allows us to understand the role of law in everyday life, showing, in particular, how the legal culture and the legal consciousness of the people can impact social life and the formation of a rule of law culture in Uzbekistan.