BAKU - Azerbaijan plans to transfer some monetary debt cases to private enforcement officers as the state system manages about 1.09 million enforcement documents, Justice Minister Farid Ahmadov said.
Ahmadov, speaking in an interview with Report and ITV, said the law on private enforcement officers was adopted in 2025 and the new institution is scheduled to begin operating in 2026. Certification of candidates has started.
More Than 520,000 Cases Involve 40 Creditors
More than 60% of the existing caseload involves monetary claims, according to the minister. More than 520,000 proceedings are connected to just 40 legal entities, mainly banks, nonbank lenders, household-appliance retailers and other companies.
Monetary claims are expected to be the first cases transferred to private enforcement officers. They would have the same statutory enforcement powers as state officers but would provide the service for a fee.
Ahmadov said the government’s position is that the public enforcement system should not bear all costs arising from creditors’ commercial risks.
Annual Caseload Expected to Exceed 500,000
The enforcement service received between 307,000 and 309,000 documents annually from 2020 through 2023. The figure rose to 387,000 in 2024 and 436,000 in 2025. The Justice Ministry expects more than 500,000 new cases in 2026.
A state enforcement officer now handles an average of 3,500 to 4,000 cases a year, while the workload reaches 10,000 in some districts, Ahmadov said. Staffing has changed little despite the increase.
The enforcement rate reached 60% in 2025 and about 62% in the first half of 2026. The ministry expects it to be between 62% and 65% by year-end.
Recruitment and System Changes
Nearly 600 people applied to become state enforcement officers, and about 300 passed the first stage and were admitted to interviews. A university law degree is no longer mandatory for the position if the successful candidate later completes specialized training.
The private system would not create new debts or alter court judgments. It would change how existing enforcement documents are carried out.
Ahmadov also said Azerbaijan plans to commission new penitentiary facilities with total capacity for about 11,000 people by 2030. Digital services for prison visits, deliveries and telemedicine are also expected to be expanded across the penitentiary system.
Sources: Vesti Baku; Report.