Abstract. The growing scale of environmental degradation has intensified the need for effective criminal liability mechanisms to protect ecological security. Despite the existence of legal norms regulating environmental crimes in Uzbekistan, judicial practice demonstrates significant challenges in their enforcement. This article examines the legal foundations and practical application of criminal liability for environmental offenses, with particular emphasis on investigative procedures, sentencing practices, and institutional limitations. The research employs doctrinal legal analysis combined with a critical assessment of judicial and investigative practice to identify systemic problems, including the dominance of administrative sanctions over criminal penalties, insufficient use of forensic expertise, and gaps between legislative provisions and enforcement realities. The study also evaluates existing classifications of environmental crimes and their relevance to contemporary legal practice. The findings reveal that the current liability framework lacks sufficient deterrent effect due to inconsistencies in judicial interpretation and limited coordination among enforcement bodies. Based on the analysis, the article proposes targeted legal and institutional reforms aimed at strengthening criminal accountability, improving investigative effectiveness, and enhancing the preventive role of criminal law in environmental protection. The results contribute to the broader discourse on environmental criminal law and offer practical recommendations for increasing the effectiveness of environmental governance.