THE ROLE OF PRELIMINARY INVESTIGATION AND INQUIRY IN ENSURING THE NATIONAL SECURITY OF THE REPUBLIC OF UZBEKISTAN

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to determine the role of preliminary investigation and inquiry within the system of ensuring the national security of the Republic of Uzbekistan. The methodological framework is based on dialectical, system-structural, formal-legal, comparative-legal, logical, and analytical methods, as well as an analysis of current legislation and relevant scholarly literature. The study establishes that criminal procedural activity functions as a key legal mechanism for responding to crime and ensuring the principle of the inevitability of responsibility. Preliminary investigation ensures the examination of the most socially dangerous crimes, the formation of the evidentiary base, and the identification of the causes of criminal behavior, while also performing a pronounced preventive function. Inquiry performs a stabilizing role by enabling a prompt response to widespread minor and medium-gravity offenses and maintaining public order. It is demonstrated that the effectiveness of pre-trial proceedings directly affects the level of public trust in state institutions. The study concludes that improving the legal regulation and organizational mechanisms of preliminary investigation should be considered a priority direction for strengthening national security.