judges in their court, including the authority to provide salary increases up to 100 per cent14 Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe/Office for Democratic Institutions and HumanRights, “Opinion on the Law on the High Judicial Council of the Republic of Uzbekistan”, Opinion-Nr.: JUD-UZB/327/2018, 1 October 2018, paras. 48–52.to judges and staff who perform their professional duties in an efficient and diligent way.
55. International standards provide that a hierarchical organization of the judiciary, intended as the subordination of the judges to the court presidents or to higher instances in 14 Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe/Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights, “Opinion on the Law on the High Judicial Council of the Republic of Uzbekistan”, Opinion-Nr.: JUD-UZB/327/2018, 1 October 2018, paras. 48–52. their judicial decision-making activity, amounts to a breach of the principle of judicial independence.15