Central Asian Law

Alkon, Cynthia. “The Increased Use of Reconciliation in Criminal Cases in Central Asia: A Sign of Reform or Cause for Concern?” 19th International Conference of the International Society for the Reform of Criminal Law (2005), http://www.isrcl.org/.

Sections: Introduction; Why is Reform needed?; The Current State of the Law in Central Asia Regarding the Use of Reconciliation; Current Reconciliation Practices; Conclusion

Alkon, Cynthia. “The Increased Use of “Reconciliation” in Criminal Cases in Central Asia: A Sign of Restorative Justice, Reform or Cause for Concern?” Pepperdine Dispute Resolution Law Journal 8 (2007): 41-116.

Sections: Introduction; This Article; The Data Gathering Process; Background on Central Asia; Restorative Justice in Western Countries; Reconciliation in Central Asia; Conclusion

Anderson, John. “Constitutional Development in Central Asia.” Central Asian Survey 16, no. 3 (1997): 301-20.

Sections: Constitutional development, 1992-94; Constitutional reassessment and the extension of presidential power, 1994-96; Conclusion

Anderson, Justice Paul H. “A Minnesota Judge’s Perspective on the Rule of Law in China and Kyrgyzstan.” Minnesota Journal of International Law 18, no. 2 (2009): 343-56.

Babadjanov, Bakhtiyar M. “From Colonization to Bolshevization: Some Political and Legislative Aspects of Molding a ‘Soviet Islam’ in Central Asia.” In Central Asian Law: An Historical Overview: A Festschrift for the Ninetieth Birthday of Herbert Franke, edited by Wallace Johnson and Irina F. Popova, 153-71. Lawrence, KS: Society for Asian Legal History, the Hall Center for the Humanities, the University of Kansas, 2004.

Sections: Local Khanates and Russian Colonization, The New Authorities and the Muslims, The Reaction of the Authorities, Fatwas under the Slogan “Introduce Decisions of the Communist Party into Life”, Conclusion

Beckwith, Grant Garrard. “Uzbekistan: Islam, Communism, and Religious Liberty: An Appraisal of Uzbekistan’s 1998 Law “on Freedom of Conscience and Religious Organizations”.” Brigham Young University Law Review (2000): 997-1048.

Sections: Introduction; Background; The 1998 Freedom of Conscience Law; Forward Looking Considerations: A Compromise Model

Beyer, Judith. “Imagining the State in Rural Kyrgyzstan: How Perceptions of the State Create Customary Law in the Kyrgyz Aksakal Courts.” Max Planck Institute for Social Anthropology Working Papers 95 (2007).

Sections: Introduction; Studying the State through its Local Imaginations; Imagining the State through Visiting State Officials, the Media and Memories; The Introduction of the Kyrgyz Aksakal Courts; “There is this Law …”: imagining the state in aksakal court sessions; Conclusion

Beyer, Judith. “Revitalisation, Invention and Continued Existence of the Kyrgyz Aksakal Courts: Listening to Pluralistic Accounts of History.” Journal of Legal Pluralism and Unofficial Law 53 (2006): 141.

Sections: Introduction, Official Discourses on the Historical Development of the aksakal Courts, Historical Data on the Development of the aksakal Courts, Local Discourses on the Historical Development of the Institution, Conclusion

Beyer, Judith. “According to Salt: An Ethnography of Customary Law in Talas, Kyrgyzstan.” Dissertation, Martin-Luther-Universitat, 2009.

Sections: Introduction; Salt as legal repertoire; Settling descent; Performing authority; Buying and paying respect; Imagining the state in the aksakal courts; Taking and giving carpets; Conclusion

Blitt, Robert C., and W. Cole Durham. “Analysis of the Republic of Tajikistan’s Draft Law ‘About Freedom of Conscience and Religious Unions’.” University of Tennessee Legal Studies Research Paper 26 (2008).

Sections: Overview; Positive Aspects of the Draft Law; Article-by-Article Analysis of the Draft Law

Boyle, L. R. “Three’s Company: Examining the Third-Party Problem through an Analysis of Bridas S.A.P.I.C. V. Government of Turkmenistan.” Houston Law Review 45, no. 1 (2008): 261-86.

Sections: Introduction; Overview of International Arbitration; Statement of the Case; Analysis

Branch, Ben, and Natalya Goncharova. “Bankruptcy Process in Uzbekistan.” Norton Annual Survey of Bankruptcy Law 2005, no. 2005 (2005).

Sections: Introduction; Country Overview; Government; Privatization Process; Bankruptcy Law; Development of Laws and Regulations Governing Bankruptcy; Contribution from Foreign Organizations; Definitions Provided in the Bankruptcy Law; Order of Priority in Satisfying Creditors’ Claims; Government Institutions Responsible for Overseeing the Bankruptcy Processes; Application of Bankruptcy Law; Conclusion

Brusina, Olga. “The Russian Experience of Reforming Nomadic Courts According to Adat in Turkestan, 1850-1900.” Journal of Legal Pluralism and Unofficial Law 52 (2006): 31-40.

Sections: Codification, Reform, Results

Brusina, Olga. “Sharia and Civil Law in Marital Relations of the Muslim Population in Central Asia.” Russian Social Science Review 50, no. 3 (2009): 26-41.

Sections: Marital relations in Soviet Central Asia, Post-Soviet reality

Clouatre, Douglas. “Tajikistan.” In Legal Systems of the World: A Political, Social, and Cultural Encyclopedia, edited by Herbert M. Kritzer, 1592-97. Santa Barbara, CA: ABC-CLIO, 2002.

Sections: Country Information, History, Independence and Civil War, Tajikistan Government and Judiciary, Supreme and Constitutional Courts, Legal Structure of Tajikistan Courts, Economic Courts, Personal and Individual Rights, Privatization Law, Criminal Code, Legal Training, Impact of the Law

Clouatre, Douglas. “Turkmenistan.” In Legal Systems of the World: A Political, Social, and Cultural Encyclopedia, edited by Herbert M. Kritzer, 1663-69. Santa Barbara, CA: ABC-CLIO, 2002.

Sections: Country Information, History, Turkmenistan Government and Judiciary, Legal Structure of Turkmenistan Courts, Privatization Law, Individual Rights in Turkmenistan, Legal Training, Impact of the Law

Cormier, Kelley E. “Grievance Practices in Post-Soviet Kyrgyz Agriculture.” Law & Social Inquiry 32, no. 2 (2007): 435-66.

Sections: Introduction; The Sociolegal Nexus and Institutional Change; Conceptual Approach: Naming, Claiming, and Blaming in Kyrgyz Agriculture; Methods; Background; Reasons for Grievances in Commercial Disputes; Resolutions of Grievances in Commercial Disputes; Transformation of Disputes as a Reflection of a New Legal Consciousness; The Influence of Ideology on Commercial Transactions; The Constituted Nature of Beliefs and Disputes; Conclusion; Referrences

Cormier, Kelley E. “The Nature and Structure of Contracts in Kyrgyzstan’s Agricultural Sector: A Framework for Understanding Institutional Change.” Dissertation, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 2007.

Sections: Introduction; A Review of Contracting Theory; Building a Theory of Contractual Intentions; Continuity and Change in Kyrgyzstan’s Agricultural Sector; The Transformation of Cultural Practices Into Customs; Rural Market Development in the Ferghana Valley; The Transformation of Commercial Customs Back to Practices; Research and Policy Implications

Daniels, M. “Assessing the Genocide and Political Mass Murder Framework: The Case of Uzbekistan.” George Washington International Law Review 37, no. 4 (2005): 917-48.

Sections: Introduction; Prior Evaluation of Genocide; Evaluation of Harff’s Criteria; Conclusion

Davis, Kyle W. “Purging the System: Recent Judicial Reforms in Kazakhstan.” U.C. Davis Journal of International Law and Policy 8 (2002): 255-73.

Sections: Introduction; A Very Brief Historical Review of Judicial Reform in Kazakhstan Before 2000; The 2000-2001 Reforms; International Involvement in Judicial Reforms; Judicial Prestige; Corruption; Conclusion

Davlat Ilmiy Nashriyoti. Selections from Islom Intsiklopediya. Edited and translated by David E. Merrell. Seattle: muslimlife.org, 2010. http://www.centralasianlaw.com/archives/53. Selections originally published in Uzbek in Davlat Ilmiy Nashriyoti. O’zbekiston Milliy Intsiklopediyasi. O’zbekiston: Davlat Ilmiy Nashriyoti, 2004.

Bibi Seshanba

English: Bibi Seshanba, Seshanba ona – according to religious-superstitious ideas, a saint that is worshiped by women and a fictitious figure (mother); patron of women spinners (charx yiguruvchi) and protector of family happiness. It is one of the (aspects of) ancient religious beliefs that has been adapted to and preserved by Islam. Devout women worship Bibi Seshanba and hold banquets in her honor on Tuesdays. Naïve women request compassion and assistance from Bibi Seshanba and beg her to make their problems easier. Worshipping Bibi Seshanba and conducting ceremonies devoted to her occurs very little at the present time and is considered an idolatrous practice.

Uzbek: Bibi Seshanba, Seshanba ona – diniy-xurofiy tasavvurlarga ko’ra ayollar sig’inadigan avliyo, afsonaviy shaxs (ona); charx yigiruvchi ayollarning homiysi, oila baxtining himoyachisi. Qad. diniy e’tiqodlarning islomga moslashib saqlanib qolgan ko’rinishlaridan biri. Dindor ayollar B.S.ga sig’inib, seshanba kunlari uning sharafiga ziyofat beradilar. Soddadil ayollar B.S.dan muruvvat, madad tilaydilar, “mushkullarini oson qilish”ni iltijo qiladilar. B.S.ga sig’inish, unga atab marosimlar o’tkazish hoz. vaqtda juda kam uchraydi va shirk amallardan sanaladi (p. 50).

Murid

English: Murid (Arabic – one who follows) – one who follows in a willful manner; an apprentice. It is used in the sense of an apprentice who takes lessons from a murshid in the path (tariqat) in Sufism. In front of a shayx, pir, or murshid, Murids undertake for themselves the responsibility of certain obligations; establish secret trustworthy relationships with them; and submit to their will. In general, the term Murid also expresses the meaning of Sufi and even an ordinary Muslim.

Uzbek: Murid (arab. – ergashuvchi) – ixtiyoriy ravishda izdan boruvchi, shogird. Tasavvufda tariqatda murshidlaridan dars oluvchi shogird ma’nosida ishlatiladi. M. shayx, pir, murshid oldida o’z zimmasiga muayyan majburiyatlar oladi, ular b-n pinhona ishonchli munosabatlar o’rnatadi va ularning irodasiga bo’ysunadi. Umuman M. atamasi sufiy va hatto oddiy musulman ma’nolarini ham anglatadi (p. 168).

Murshid

English: Murshid (Arabic – one who guides the way) – pir, shayx, or teacher (ustoz) who gives lessons in the odob of the path of Sufism (tariqat).

Uzbek: Murshid (arab. – yo’l ko’rsatuvchi) – tasavvufda tariqat odoblaridan saboq beruvchi pir, shayx va ustoz (p. 168).

Otin

English: Otin, Otinoyi – teacher of girls in Central Asian religious schools (maktabs). Otins acted as leaders in holding religious ceremonies among women (for example, Muhammad’s birthday feast (mavlud), commanding the good, forbidding the sinful, etc.) and were also engaged in giving them religious instruction.

Uzbek: Otin, Otinoyi – O’rta Osiodagi diniy maktablarda qizlar o’qituvchisi. O.lar ayollar o’rtasidagi diniy marosimlar (mas., mavlud, amri ma’ruf, nahiy munkar va v.) o’tkazishda boshchilik qilib, ularga diniy ta’lim berish v-n ham shug’ullangan (p.191).

Pir

English: Pir (Persian – elderly man, elder) – grand leaders of the path (tariqat) in the Sufi tradition or respected guides.  Similarly, every murid calls his/her own murshid a Pir.  The common understanding of “Pir” is saint (avliyo), and it is also used to mean the founder of a certain vocation.  

Uzbek: Pir (Fors. – keksa qari) – sufiylik an’anasida tariqatlarning oily rahnamolari yoki obro’li rahnamolar.  Shuningdek, har bir murid o’z murshidini ham P. deb atagan.  Aholi orasida “P.” tushunchasi avliyo, ma’lum bir hunarining asoschisi ma’nosida ham ishlatiladi (p. 195).

Shayx

English: Shayx (Arabic – elderly man, oqsoqol (respected elder; lit. “white beard”); oqsoqol of the tribe, clan, and family) – In countries where the Islam religion has spread, before (it was used for) well-educated people and scholars/scientists, afterwards (it was used for) religious leaders (ruhoniylar), Muslim scholars (ulamolar) and scholars of classical Islamic law/fiqh (faqihlar). Later on, pirs of the Sufi path (tariqat), Sufi masters (eshonlar), and lesser officials of sacred places were also considered Shayx.  Among the Arabs prior to Islam, chiefs of the clan and tribe and great patriarchal oqsoqols of the family were called Shayx.  In Muslim countries now, Shayx is also being used for teachers of religious institutions of higher education and titles of great ulamolar.  Comparatively speaking, in Central Asia, Shayx was most often used for ruhoniylar who collect alms (sadaqa) and charity for sacred gravesites (muqaddas mozorlar) and places of pilgrimage.

Uzbek: Shayx (arab. – keksa, oqsoqol; qabila, urug’, oila oqsoqoli) – Islom diniy tarqalgan mamlakatlarda avval bilimdon kishilar, olimlar, so’ngra ruhoniylar, ulamolar, faqihlar.  Keyinchalik sufilik tariqatidagi pirlar, eshonlar, muqaddas joylarning mutasaddilari ham Sh. deb yuritilgan  Arablarda islomdan ilgari urug’, qabila boshliqlari, katta patriarxal oila oqsoqolari Sh. deb atalgan.  Musulmon mamlakatlarida hozir Sh. oily diniy maktablarning mudarrislari va yirik ulamolarning unvoni sifatida ham qo’llaniladi.  O’rta Osiada Sh. ko’pincha muqaddas mozorlar va qadamjolarga sadaqa va nazr-niyoz olib turadigan ruhoniylar tabaqasiga nisbatan ishlatilgan (p. 266).

Doran, David D. “Law and Custom in Soviet Central Asia: The “Sovietization” of the Muslim Peoples.” Student papers (University of Washington School of Law)  (1989).

Sections: Introduction; History of Law, Government, and the Judiciary in Central Asia; General Jurisprudence in Pre-Revolutionary Central Asia; Sovietization of Muslim Central Asia; Islam in Soviet Central Asia Today: Structure and Organization; Conclusion

Epkenhans, Tim. “Regulating Religion in Post-Soviet Central Asia: Some Remarks on Religious Association Law and ‘Official’ Islamic Institutions in Tajikistan.” Security and Human Rights 1 (2009): 94-99.

Sections: Introduction; Control of and interference in religious affairs: The Soviet legacy; From the qaziyyat to the High Council of ‘Ulama’; The Religious Association Law in Tajikistan; Conclusion

Epkenhans, Tim. “Muslims without Learning Clergy without Faith: Institutions of Islamic Learning in the Republic of Tajikistan.” In Islamic Education in the Soviet Union and Its Successor States, edited by Michael Kemper, Raoul Motika and Stefan Reichmuth, 313-48. New York: Routledge, 2010.

Sections: Introduction, State of research and literature, Islam in pre-Soviet Tajikistan, Islam in Soviet Tajikistan, “Official” Islam, “Parallel” Islam, Independence and Civil War, The early Islamic Revival Party of Tajikistan, Islam and the state in Tajikistan since 1997, Legal and policy framework, The Law on Religion and its implementation, Official Islamic institutions in Tajikistan, The Islamic centre and the High Council of’Ulama’ of Tajikistan, Mosques, Madrasas, Education, The Islamic University in Dushanbe, Islamic manuals and textbooks, Islamic law and traditional customs, Sufism, Ziyarat and hajj, The Islamic Revival Party after the Peace Accord of 1997, Charter and agenda of the IRPT, The IRPT after Nuri, Hizb al-Tahrir al-Islami in Tajikistan, Challenges in the future

Feldbrugge, F. J. M. “Criminal Law and Traditional Society: The Role of Soviet Law in the Integration of Non-Slavic Peoples.” Review of Socialist Law 3 (1977): 3-51.

Sections: Introduction; Before 1917; Тhе Soviet approach; What types of conduct are singled out?; Тhе legislative implementation of Soviet policies; Some statistical data; Тhе legal provisions concerning traditional crime; Postscript оn the post-war situation; Notes

Feldbrugge, F. J. M. “Criminal Law and Traditional Society: The Role of Soviet Law in the Integration of Non-Slavic Peoples.” Review of Socialist Law 3 (1977): 3-51.

Frank, Allen J., and Jahangir Mamatov. Dictionary of Central Asian Islamic Terms. Springfield, VA: Dunwoody Press, 2002.

Relevance: Contains terms, including Islamic law terms, in Arabic, Bashkir, Karakalpak, Kazakh, Kyrgyz, Tajik, Tatar, Turkrnen, Uyghur, and Uzbek.

Galemba, David. “The Authoritarian Roadblock on Post-Soviet Central Asia’s Long Road to Religious Freedom.” Rutgers Journal of Law and Religion 8 (2007): 1-33.

Sections: Introduction; Historical Overview of Religion in Central Asia; The Authoritarian Roadblock: Paranoid Leaders and their Constraint on Religious Freedom; The Endless Cycle: Oppression Begets Extremism Begets Oppression; Conclusion

Gegenheimer, Gary. “Judicial Review of Bank Supervisory Decisions in the Former Soviet Republics: The Case of Kyrgyzstan.” Annual Review of Banking and Financial Law 25 (2006): 295-387.

Sections: Introduction; Overview of the Kyrgyz Legal System; International Perspectives; Conclusion: A Modest Reform Proposal

Gemalmaz, M. S. “Structure and Authority of the Judiciary within the Legal Order of the Tajikistan Republic.” Tilburg Foreign Law Review 7, no. 4 (1999): 307-46.

Sections: Introduction, 1 Establishment of the Courts, 2 The Composition of the Courts, 3 The Judges, 5 Protection of the Judges, 6 General Evaluation of the Present System, 7 Rights of Individuals Subjected to Exercise of Judicial Power,

Gill, B. “Aiding the Rule of Law Abroad: The Kyrgyz Republic as a Case Study.” The Fletcher forum of world affairs. 29 (2005): 133-56.

Sections: Background; What is at Stake?; Will the Rule of Law Prevail?; What are the Barriers to Securing Rule of Law?; Recommendations; Conclusion

Giovarelli, Renee, and Cholpon Akmatova. “Local Institutions That Enforce Customary Law in the Kyrgyz Republic: And Their Impact on Women’s Rights.” Agriculture & Rural Development e-Paper (2002).

Sections: Research Objectives; Introduction and Background; Methodology; Findings; Analysis and Discussion; Conclusion; Recommendations

Handrahan, L.M. “Implications of International Human Rights Law and Bride Kidnapping in Kyrgyzstan.” PRAXIS The Fletcher Journal of Development Studies XVI (2000).

Sections: Introduction, History of Bride Kidnapping, Bride Kidnapping Today, Background, International Legal Tools to Combat Bride Kidnapping, Prescriptive Measures, Conclusion, Endnotes

Heltzer, Gregory E. “Stalemate in the Aral Sea Basin: Will Kyrgyzstan’s New Water Law Bring the Downstream Nations Back to the Multilateral Bargaining Table?” Georgetown International Environmental Law Review 15, no. 2 (2003): 291-319.

Sections: Introduction; Causes of the Current State of Affairs in Central Asia; International Law and Water as an Economic Good; Kyrgyzstan’s New Law and Its Effect on Regional Discussions; Solving Central Asia’s Water Stalemate; Conclusion

Hickson, Jill E. “Using Law to Create National Identity: The Course to Democracy in Tajikistan.” Texas International Law Journal 38 (2003): 347-80.

Sections: Introduction; National Identity; The Tajiks and the Republic of Tajikistan: National Identity in Historic Perspective; Creating a New National Identity in Tajikistan; Barriers to Creating a New National Identity in Tajikistan; Conclusion

Hines, Jonathan H., and Eric W. Sievers. “Legal Regime for Hydrocarbon Development in Uzbekistan.” Journal of Energy & Natural Resources Law 19, no. 4 (2001): 387-402.

Sections: The context; Legal framework: overview; Subsoil Law regime; Administrative picture; Concession Law; General tax incentives and protections for foreign investors; Newest legal acts: steps in the right direction

Huskey, Eugene, and Gulnara Iskakova. “Kyrgyzstan.” In Legal Systems of the World: A Political, Social, and Cultural Encyclopedia, edited by Herbert M. Kritzer, 837-42. Santa Barbara, CA: ABC-CLIO, 2002.

Sections: General Information, History and Legal Concepts, Current Structure, Legal Structure of Kyrgyzstan Courts, Specialized Judicial Bodies, Staffing, Impact

Johnson, Wallace, and Irina F. Popova, eds. Central Asian Law: An Historical Overview: A Festschrift for the Ninetieth Birthday of Herbert Franke, Society for Central Asian Legal History, Monograph Series. Lawrence, KS: Society for Asian Legal History, the Hall Center for the Humanities, the University of Kansas, 2004.

1. Some Reflections on Multinationality: The Example of Former Empires in East Asia, Herbert Franke
2. Customary Law in the Ancient Turkic States of Central Asia: the Legal Documents and Practical Regulations, S. G. Klyashtornyi
3. The Administrative and Legal Regulations of the Tang Emperors for the Frontier Territories, Irina F. Popova
4. Muslim Law in Central Asia, Ashirbek Muminov
5. Eighteen Steppe Laws – A Source for the Study of Medieval Mongolian, Alexei Nasilov
6. Customary Law in Waigal Valley, Eastern Afghanistan, Schuyler Jones
7. Disputes over Land-use in Qing Outer Mongolia Some Remarks on a Legal Question from an Historian’s Point of View, Veronika Veit
8. Communist and Post-Communist Mongolian Law and Pasture Land, Morris Rossabi
9. Some Characteristics of Penal Legislation among the Mongols (13th – 21st Centuries), Francoise Aubin
10. From Colonization to Bolshevization: Some Political and Legislative Aspects of Molding a “Soviet Islam” in Central Asia, Bakhtiyar M. Babadjanov
11. Law and custom among the Uyghur in Xinjiang, Ildiko Beller-Hann
12. Constitutional regimes and clan politics in Central Asia, Janna Khegai
13. Islam and Universalism in Family Law: A Comparative Study of the Contemporary Iranian and Turkish Civil Codes, Hisae Nakanishi
14. Public Discussion on the ‘State of Law’ and Contemporary Political Regimes in Central Asia and the Southern Caucasus, Irina Morozova
15. Parliamentary Law-Making in Central Asia: Apparent Authority Meets Political Reality, Claire Weber

Kamp, Marianne, and Russell G. Zanca. “Writing the History of Collectivization in Uzbekistan: Oral Narratives.” The National Council for Eurasian and East European Research (2008), http://www.nceeer.org/papers.html.

Sections: Executive Summary, Prior Work in this Area, The Significance of this Project, Class Identity in Rural Uzbekistan, Class Identity in Oral Histories of Collectivization, Bibliography

Relevance: “In a period when policy makers recommend changes to independent Uzbekistan’s land laws, this study may provide a deeper sense of cultural attitudes about land and livelihood in rural Uzbekistan, with implications for changes in land tenure systems.” (3,9)

Kangas, Roger D. “Legal Reform in Central Asia: Battling the Influence of History.” In In the Tracks of Tamerlane: Central Asia’s Path to the 21st Century, edited by Daniel L. Burghart and Theresa Sabonis-Helf, 65-91. Washington, DC: Center For Technology and National Security Policy, National Defense University, 2004.

Sections: Legal Antecedents (The Pre-Russian Legacy; Russian and Soviet-era Law); Respective Frameworks of Legal Regimes
in Central Asia (Kazakhstan, The Kyrgyz Republic, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan); Basic Dilemmas and Reform Efforts (Challenges; Efforts at Reform); Conclusion

Katrougalos, George. “Uzbekistan.” In Legal Systems of the World: A Political, Social, and Cultural Encyclopedia, edited by Herbert M. Kritzer, 1724-28. Santa Barbara, CA: ABC-CLIO, 2002.

Sections: Country Information, History, Legal Concepts, Executive and Legislative Branches, The Judiciary

Kelly, Christina M. “The United States and Turkmenistan: Striking a Balance between Promoting Religious Freedom and Fighting the War against Terrorism.” Pace International Law Review 15, no. 2 (2003): 481-511.

Sections: Introduction; Turkmenistan; The International Religious Freedom Act; Turkmenistan is a Country of Particular Concern and Should Be So Designated; Conclusion

Martin, Virginia. Law and Custom in the Steppe: The Kazakhs of the Middle Horde and Russian Colonialism in the Nineteenth Century. Richmond: Curzon, 2000.

Sections: Introduction Legal Culture in the Colonial Context; The Middle Horde Nomads and Colonial Rule; Nomadism and Adat; Law and Empire-Building; Settlement: Cossacks, Peasants and Nomads; Adat in Practice 1868-1898; Biys and Litigants; Land Disputes; Barimta; Conclusion

Martin, Virginia. “Kazakh Oath-Taking in Colonial Courtrooms: Legal Culture and Russian Empire-Building.” Kritika: Explorations in Russian and Eurasian History 5, no. 3 (Summer 2004): 483-514.

Oaths in Russian Legal Practice and Empire-Building
The Oath, Custom, and Legitimacy in the Official Biy Court
Kazakh Oath-taking on the Qur’an and Perjury in the Russian Courtroom
Conclusion

Martin, Virginia. “Kazakh Chinggisids, Land and Political Power in the Nineteenth Century: A Case Study of Syrymbet.” Central Asian Survey 29, no. 1 (2010): 79–102.

Massell, Gregory J. “Law as an Instrument of Revolutionary Change in a Traditional Milieu: The Case of Soviet Central Asia.” Law and Society Review 2, no. 2 (1968): 179-228.

Sections: The Quest for Revolutionary Access and Influence in a Traditional Milieu, Revolutionary Legalism and Social Engineering: The uses and Limits of Superimposed Rules

Müllerson, Rein. “The Kyrgyz Tragedy: Particular and General.” Chinese Journal of International Law 10 (2011): 407-26.

Sections: Introduction; Askar Akayev: democratic reforms versus weak authority and corruption; 2005: the Tulip revolution or coup d’état?; Kyrgyzstan and external forces; 2010: struggle for power between Kyrgyz factions and the Uzbek community; The rise of ethno-nationalism, market reforms and majority rule; June 2010: mob violence, human rights and crimes against humanity; Quo vadis Kyrgyzstan: denial, impunity but also hope;

McCormick, Christy Cutbill. “Exporting the First Amendment: America’s Response to Religious Persecution Abroad.” Journal of International Legal Studies 4 (1998): 283-334.

Sections: Introduction; Recent Attention to Religious Freedom Issues; Americans Justify U.S. Action Based on the Concept of Religious Liberty as Guaranteed by the First Amendment; Worldwide Religious Persecution Continues to Exist in Spite of Guarantees of Religious Freedom in International Law and Individual State Constitutions (Former Soviet Countries; Uzbekistan); How Should America Respond to Religious Persecution Abroad?; Conclusion

Merrell, David E. “The Post-Tulip Revolution Moment of Constitutional Reform: Will Kyrgyzstan Ever Get a Good Tsar?”, University of Washington Ghallager Law Library, 2009.

Sections: Not All Kyrgyz Citizens Desire Liberal Democracy; Some Desire a Good Tsar; The Tulip “Revolution” did not Bring a Good Tsar and the Post-Revolution Constitutional Reform Efforts did not Bring Liberal Democracy; Whether in the Form of a Good Tsar or Liberal Democracy, Good Governance Takes Time; In the meantime, Merit-Based Education Should Be Supported;

Merrell, David E. “State Engagement with Non-State Justice: How the Experience in Kyrgyzstan Can Reinforce the Need for Legitimacy in Afghanistan.” Central Asian Survey 29, no. 2 (2010): 205-17.

Sections: Introduction; Non-State Justice in Afghanistan and the Question of its Engagement with the State; State Engagement with Non-State Justice in Kyrgyzstan during Tsarist, Soviet and Post-Soviet Times; How the Experience in Kyrgyzstan Can Reinforce the Need for Legitimacy in Afghanistan; Conclusion

Merrell, David E. “Islam and Dispute Resolution in Central Asia: The Case of Women Muslim Leaders.” New Middle Eastern Studies (2011), http://www.brismes.ac.uk/nmes/.

“Central Asia.” In The Oxford Encyclopedia of Islam and Law, edited by Jonathan Brown. New York: Oxford University Press, forthcoming 2012.

Sections: Introduction to Region, Kazakhstan, The Kyrgyz Republic (Kyrgyzstan), Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Bibliography

Merrell, David E. “Kyrgyzstan’s Constitution and Islam.” In Oxford Islamic Studies Online, edited by John L. Esposito. New York: Oxford University Press, forthcoming Spring 2012.

Merrell, David E. “Tajikistan’s Constitution and Islam.” In Oxford Islamic Studies Online, edited by John L. Esposito. New York: Oxford University Press, forthcoming Spring 2012.

Molkner, Keith. “A Comparison of the Legal Regimes for Foreign Investment in Russia, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgystan.” International Tax and Business Lawyer 11, no. 1 (1993): 71-101.

Sections: Introduction; Background; Foreign Investment in Russia; Foreign Investment in Kazakhstan; Foreign Investment in Kyrgyzstan; Comparative Assessment; Bilateral Investment Treaties; Conclusion

Morozova, Irina. “Public Discussion on the ‘State of Law’ and Contemporary Political Regimes in Central Asia and the Southern Caucasus.” In Central Asian Law: An Historical Overview: A Festschrift for the Ninetieth Birthday of Herbert Franke, edited by Wallace Johnson and Irina F. Popova, 237-59. Lawrence, KS: Society for Asian Legal History, the Hall Center for the Humanities, the University of Kansas, 2004.

Sections: Introduction; The Different Systems of Law in Present Day Central Asia and the Southern Caucasus; Public Discussions on the State of Law in the Post-Soviet and the Post-Socialist States; Order, the State of Law and the Shadow of the Legal Economy in Contemporary Azerbaijan; The President, the Opposition and Discourse on Human Rights in Uzbekistan; The One-Party Parliament and the Reform of the Legislature in Post-Socialist Mongolia; Conclusion

Muminov, Ashirbek. “Traditional and Modern Religious-Theological Schools in Central Asia.” Political Islam and Conflicts in Eurasia (1999), http://www.ca-c.org/dataeng/09.muminov.shtml.

Sections: The Hanafite School of Religious Law (Madhhab Hanafiyyah), Characteristics of the Hanafites in Central Asia, ‘Popular Islam’, Hanafites in the contemporary period, Religious–Political Groups, Sufi Groups, Prospects for the Future

Muminov, Ashirbek. “Muslim Law in Central Asia.” In Central Asian Law: An Historical Overview: A Festschrift for the Ninetieth Birthday of Herbert Franke, edited by Wallace Johnson and Irina F. Popova, 55-63. Lawrence, KS: Society for Asian Legal History, the Hall Center for the Humanities, the University of Kansas, 2004.

Sections: Text and Translations of Early Fatwas

Muminov, Ashirbek. “Fundamentalist Challenges to Local Islamic Traditions in Soviet and Post-Soviet Central Asia.” In Empire, Islam, and Politics in Central Eurasia, edited by Uyama Tomohiko, 249-62. Sapporo: Slavic Research Center, Hokkaido University, 2007.

Sections: The Historical Role of Ulama, Islam under the Soviet Regime, Shami-Damulla,
Ahl al-Hadith, Dissension among Central Asian Theologians

Muminov, Ashirbek, Uygun Gafurov, and Rinat Shigabdinov. “Islamic Education in Soviet and Post-Soviet Uzbekistan.” In Islamic Education in the Soviet Union and Its Successor States, edited by Michael Kemper, Raoul Motika and Stefan Reichmuth. New York: Routledge, 2010.

Sections: Introduction, The traditional Islamic educational system of Uzbekistan: reform plans and failures (1917-1928), The destruction of Islamic education (1927-1928), Islamic scholars in the period of repression, 1928-1943

Newton, Scott. “Transplantation and Transition: Legality and Legitimacy in the Kazakhstani Legislative Process.” In Law and Informal Practices: The Post-Communist Experience, edited by D. J. Galligan and Marina Kurkchiyan, 151-70. New York: Oxford University Press, 2003.

Sections: Introduction, Legal Reform in Kazakhstan and the Drafting Process, Concluding Observations

O’Shea, Brian J. “Out of Gas in Turkmenistan: The Stalled Commercial Law Reform of a Post-Soviet State.” International Lawyer 35 (2001): 1051-68.

Sections: Introduction; The Main Determinants of Turkmenistan’s Transition; Commercial Law Regime; Doing Business in Turkmenistan Today;

Osakwe, Christopher. “Anatomy of the 1994 Civil Codes of Russia and Kazakstan: A Biopsy of the Economic Constitutions of Two Post-Soviet Republics.” Notre Dame Law Review 73, no. 5 (1998): 1413-514.

Sections: The Overture: The Taxonomy of the Two Civil Codes; The Economic Philosophy of the Two Civil Codes: Free Enterprise; The Genealogy of the Two Civil Codes: Sources of influences on the Drafters of the Civil Code; The Architecture of the Codes: Structure and Substantive Coverage of the Two Civil Codes; The Genesis of the Codes: The Saga of Two Test Tube Babies; The Anatomy of the Codes: A Clinical Examination of Selected Provisions of the Civil Codes of Russia and Kazakhstan; Finale: Russia and Kazakhstan as Modern Laboratories for Legal Experimentation; Law on the Books Versus Law in Action: The Pathology of the Two Civil Codes

Peshkova, Svetlana. “Bringing the Mosque Home and Talking Politics: Women, Domestic Space, and the State in the Ferghana Valley (Uzbekistan).” Contemporary Islam 3, no. 3 (2009): 251-73.

Sections: Geographic, historical, religious and political landscapes; Domestic space and religious renewal; Space, religion, and gender; Making place in a space; From talk to action and vice versa; Women, domestic space, and the state in the Ferghana Valley

Podaprigora, Roman. “Religion in Kazakhstan: A General View.” Brigham Young University Law Review (1999): 581-88.

Sections: Introduction; Shortcomings in the Legal Foundation; Conclusion

Podaprigora, Roman. “Kazakhstan.” In Encyclopedia of World Constitutions, edited by Gerhard Robbers, 471-77. New York: Facts On File, 2007.

Sections: Constitutional History, Form and Impact of the Constitution, Basic Organizational Structure, Leading Constitutional Principles, Constitutional Bodies, The Election Process, Political Parties, Citizenship, Fundamental Rights, Economy, Religious Communities, Military Defense and State of Emergency, Amendments to the Constitution

Riazanovskii, Valentin Aleksandrovich. Customary Law of the Nomadic Tribes of Siberia. Bloomington: Indiana University, 1965.

Sections: Juristic Customs of the Kirghiz; Juristic Customs of the Ostyaks, Voguls and Samoyeds; Juristic Customs of the Altais and Teleuts; Juristic Customs of the Kuznetzk Tartars; Juristic Customs of the Buriats; Juristic Customs of the Tunguses; Juristic Customs of the Yakuts; Code of Steppe Laws of the Nomadic Tribes of Eastern Siberia; Conclusion (Fundamental Institutions of the Customary Law of the Nomadic Tribes of Siberia)

Satarkulova, Indira. “International Commercial Arbitration in the Kyrgyz Republic.” Vindobona Journal of International Commercial Law & Arbitration 10 (2006): 319-34.

Sections: Introduction; Application of international law in the legal system of the Kyrgyz Republic; The Commercial Court System in
the Kyrgyz Republic: Background and recent developments; International Arbitration Tribunal; Conclusion

Sievers, Eric W. “The Caspian, Regional Seas, and the Case for a Cultural Study of Law.” Georgetown International Environmental Law Review 13, no. 2 (2001): 361-415.

Sections: The Largest Lake on the Planet; A Traditional American Analysis; A Cultural Analysis; Conclusion: Caspian Black Boxes and Black Gold

Sievers, Eric W. “Transboundary Jurisdiction and Watercourse Law: China, Kazakhstan, and the Irtysh.” Texas International Law Journal 37, no. 1 (2002): 1-42.

Sections: Introduction: The Fifth Largest River in the World; Sovereign Kazakhstan on the Edge of China’s Tenth Five-Year Plan; What is Transboundary Watercourse Law?; Remedy and Recourse; Conclusion: Transboundary Jurisdiction

Sievers, Eric W. “Uzbekistan’s Mahalla: From Soviet to Absolutist Residential Community Associations.” Chicago-Kent Journal of International and Comparative Law (2002).

Sections: Introduction: Order Despite Law; Mahalla Space and Mahalla Evolution; Mahalla Eras: Premodern, Soviet, and Post-Soviet; The Problematique of Modern Mahalla Life; Mahalla Reform and Development; Conclusion

Sievers, Eric W. “Water, Conflict, and Regional Security in Central Asia.” New York University Environmental Law Journal 10, no. 356 (2002): 356-402.

Sections: The Soviet Era and Perestroika Promises; Water Basin Tensions in Central Asia; The Impact of International Law and International Institutions; Conclusion

Sinha, Sangeeta. “Kazakhstan.” In Legal Systems of the World: A Political, Social, and Cultural Encyclopedia, edited by Herbert M. Kritzer, 812-18. Santa Barbara, CA: ABC-CLIO, 2002.

Sections: General Information, History, Origins of the Kazakh Legal System, Legal Concepts, Current Structure, Structure of Kazakh Courts, Staffing, Current Trends

Tokhtakhodjaeva, Marfua, and Cassandra Balchin. Between the Slogans of Communism and the Laws of Islam. Lahore: Shirkat Gah Women’s Resource Centre, 1995.

Turner, Taylor J. “Freedom under Control: Registration of Religious Organizations in Kazakhstan.” Columbia Journal of East European Law 2 (2008): 272-311.

Sections: Introduction; Country Background; Kazakhstan’s Registration Law; Conclusion: Overcoming Problematic Paradigms

Johnson, Wallace, and Irina F. Popova, eds. Central Asian Law: An Historical Overview: A Festschrift for the Ninetieth Birthday of Herbert Franke, Society for Central Asian Legal History, Monograph Series. Lawrence, KS: Society for Asian Legal History, the Hall Center for the Humanities, the University of Kansas, 2004.

Sections
1. Some Reflections on Multinationality: The Example of Former Empires in East Asia, Herbert Franke
2. Customary Law in the Ancient Turkic States of Central Asia: the Legal Documents and Practical Regulations, S. G. Klyashtomyi
3. The Administrative and Legal Regulations of the Tang Emperors for the Frontier Territories, Irina F. Popova
4. Muslim Law in Central Asia, Ashirbek Muminov
5. Eighteen Steppe Laws - A Source for the Study of Medieval Mongolian, Alexei Nasilov
6. Customary Law in Waigal Valley, Eastern Afghanistan, Schuyler Jones
7. Disputes over Land-use in Qing Outer Mongolia Some Remarkson a Legal Question from an Historian’s Point of View, Veronika Veit
8. Communist and Post-Communist Mongolian Law and Pasture Land, Morris Rossabi
9. Some Characteristics of Penal Legislation among the Mongols, (13^th – 21^st Centuries), Francoise Aubin
10. From Colonization to Bolshevization: Some Political and Legislative Aspects of Molding a “Soviet Islam” in Central Asia, Bakhtiyar M. Babadjanov
11. Law and custom among the Uyghur in Xinjiang, Ildiko Beller-Hann
12. Constitutional regimes and clan politics in Central Asia, Janna Khegai
13. Islam and Universalism in Family Law: A Comparative Study of the Contemporary Iranian and Turkish Civil Codes, Hisae Nakanishi
14. Public Discussion on the ‘State of Law’ and Contemporary Political Regimes in Central Asia and the Southern Caucasus, Irina Morozova
15. Parliamentary Law-Making in Central Asia: Apparent Authority Meets Political Reality, Claire Weber

Zappalà, Salvatore. “The German Federal Prosecutor’s Decision Not to Prosecute a Former Uzbek Minister Missed Opportunity or Prosecutorial Wisdom?” Journal of International Criminal Justice 4, no. 3 (2006): 602-22.

Sections: Introduction; The Decision; The Boundaries of Prosecutorial Discretion and the Prospect of Successful Prosecution; The Need to Prove the Policy Element: Do Crimes against Humanity Require a State or Organizational Policy?; The Unsaid: The Problem of Immunity of State Officials; Conclusion