[1] As the country was a republic of the Soviet Union until 1991, its legal history has also been influenced heavily by socialist law.
[3] Under the Constitution, there is nominally a system of presidential republic with a separation of powers among the Legislative, Executive and Judicial branches of the government.
An important part of the legal reforms in the country is related to adoption of a new Constitution in Azerbaijan in 1995.
[10] Legal reforms introduced new three stage - first instance, appellate and supreme court system in Azerbaijan and ensured its independence from other branches of power.
Court hearings are public, and defendants are free to choose their own attorney and have the right to appeal the verdict.
In cases involving national security or other defined by law a judge may decide to hold a closed trial.