46. Law No. 428 of 12 April 2017 introduced amendments to article 63-1 of the Law onCourts, which regulates security of tenure. According to this new provision, judges are nowappointed for an initial 5-year term, followed by a 10-year term, and subsequently by alifetime appointment. These changes represent a positive step in the right direction.However, the system of two temporary appointments before achieving a lifelongappointment continues to expose judges to the risks of undue pressure and interferencesduring the first 15 years in office. This is true, in particular, for judges dealing withpolitically sensitive cases, who may feel pressured to decide in favour of the Stateauthorities in order to improve their chances of being reappointed.47. To date, changes in the regulation on the duration of tenure have not had a positiveimpact on the security of tenure of Uzbek judges. As of October 2018, only 38 judges(about 3 per cent of all judges) had obtained a permanent appointment. Most of thesejudges sit in the Supreme Court. A total of 164 judges (about 12 per cent) had beenreappointed for a 10-year term, while the remaining judges were on an initial 5-year
47. To date, changes in the regulation on the duration of tenure have not had a positive impact on the security of tenure of Uzbek judges. As of October 2018, only 38 judges (about 3 per cent of all judges) had obtained a permanent appointment. Most of these judges sit in the Supreme Court. A total of 164 judges (about 12 per cent) had been reappointed for a 10-year term, while the remaining judges were on an initial 5-year appointment.