On May 12, 2026, the Institute of Law and Human Rights hosted an event dedicated to the 103rd anniversary of the birth of National Leader Heydar Aliyev.

The event, attended by representatives of the judiciary, members of parliament, the Ombudsman, the Chairman of the Bar Association, scholars, representatives of the New Azerbaijan Party (YAP), civil society organizations, and the broader public, featured the presentation of the book titled “Heydar Aliyev and the Justice System of Azerbaijan.”

The publication, authored by Fikrat Mammadov - Judge of the Constitutional Court of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Honored Lawyer, former Minister of Justice and former Chairman of the Judicial-Legal Council - is dedicated to Heydar Aliyev’s historic role in the development of Azerbaijan’s legal system.

The book also reflects the significant achievements and major victories attained under the leadership of President Ilham Aliyev, who has successfully continued and further developed the political course of the Great Leader. It highlights the reforms implemented to further improve and modernize the justice and judicial systems, as well as the important activities carried out by the Heydar Aliyev Foundation under the leadership of First Vice-President Mehriban Aliyeva in studying and promoting the legacy of the Great Leader.

Opening the event with introductory remarks, Mahammad Guluzade, Chairman of the Board of the Institute, noted that the publication extensively covers National Leader Heydar Aliyev’s rich statehood legacy, his incomparable  services to the Azerbaijani people and state, and the reforms he carried out in the legal sphere, particularly those related to the improvement of the justice system and the establishment of a modern judicial system.

The author also shared his personal memories and observations from the period during which he worked under the leadership of the Great Leader. Information was provided about historically significant legal documents signed by Heydar Aliyev, as well as archival photographic materials.

In his speech, Fikrat Mammadov emphasized that writing a book about the Great Leader Heydar Aliyev was an extremely responsible undertaking and underlined the unparalleled nature of his services to the state and the nation. He noted that, with the passage of time, the genius, foresight, and wisdom of the Great Leader are being understood more profoundly, adding that such personalities emerge not once in a century, but once in a millennium.

He further stated that hundreds of books have been published about the life and multifaceted activities of the great personality Heydar Aliyev:

“As a person who held responsible positions entrusted to me by the Great Leader, I considered it my moral duty to preserve for history the work carried out and the reforms implemented by Heydar Aliyev in ensuring the effective functioning of legal institutions, particularly justice bodies and courts. The book reflects the activities of the National Leader throughout all periods beginning from 1969. In this context, special attention is devoted to the Heydar Aliyev’s state activities, particularly the efforts aimed at the comprehensive development of Azerbaijan.”

During the presentation ceremony, Farhad Abdullayev, Chairman of the Constitutional Court of the Republic of Azerbaijan; Inam Karimov, Chairman of the Supreme Court of the Republic of Azerbaijan; Sabina Aliyeva, Commissioner for Human Rights (Ombudsman) of the Republic of Azerbaijan; Ali Huseynli and Zahid Oruj, Chairmen of Committees of the Milli Majlis; Zaur Aliyev, Dean of the Faculty of Law of Baku State University and representatives of the public delivered speeches highlighting the exceptional services of the National Leader in shaping Azerbaijan’s legal system. They emphasized the importance of promoting his reforms in the field of rule-of-law state-building and preserving his statehood legacy for future generations, noting that the book “Heydar Aliyev and the Justice System of Azerbaijan” serves as an important resource in this regard and stressing the significance of using the publication as an educational resource.