Sydykov noted that there is often confusion in society due to the term "free lawyer." "Legal aid indeed does not require payment from citizens; however, lawyers receive payment according to established rates," he clarified.
In 2025, 140 million soms are allocated for financing the system of guaranteed legal aid. These funds will be used to compensate lawyers' services during detentions, investigative actions, and court proceedings both during the day and in the evening, as well as on weekends and holidays.
Lawyers' fees are clearly defined. For example, in civil cases in the first instance court, the minimum amount of remuneration is 5,000 soms, which, according to Sydykov, corresponds to modern market conditions and is not undervalued.
The Deputy Minister also emphasized the existing mechanisms for controlling the quality of lawyers' work in the guaranteed legal aid system. In cases of improper performance of duties, conflicts of interest, or violations of standards, a lawyer may be temporarily suspended, excluded from the registry, and their contract terminated.
Furthermore, issues of disciplinary responsibility for lawyers, including the possibility of license revocation, fall under the jurisdiction of the Ethics Commission of the Bar.
Also on the committee's agenda was a draft law concerning changes in the licensing of lawyers, the system of guaranteed state legal aid, and the regulation of membership fees.
