The Ministry of Justice, through the team of caretaker Justice Minister Andrey Yankulov, has released drafts revising the Judicial System Act. These revisions aim to enhance the procedural integrity surrounding the election processes for the Supreme Judicial Council (SJC) and the SJC Inspectorate. The proposed legislation is slated for consideration by the next government elected by Parliament.
The draft mandates the establishment of a special commission composed of professionals independent of political forces. This body is tasked with conducting a professional assessment of candidates, providing an objective opinion on their integrity, strengths, and weaknesses. Crucially, this commission must draw members from institutions outside direct Parliamentary control, including the general assemblies of the Supreme Courts, the President, the National Ombudsman, and the Supreme Bar Council.
The resulting candidate profiles will be submitted to the parliamentary Legal Affairs Committee and made public for broader scrutiny. Furthermore, the bill introduces a second provisional commission dedicated to verifying the asset declarations of SJC and SJC Inspectorate candidates. This commission will include experts from financial analysis sectors, such as the Institute of Certified Public Accountants and the Bulgarian National Bank.
Verification will determine the truthfulness of declarations and investigate any transactions involving suspiciously low pricing or unclear funding sources. In terms of oversight, the revisions grant the Justice Minister the authority to contest decisions made by the SJC in court. This addresses a current legal gap, as the existing law limits appeals to only directly affected individuals, which presents significant challenges during single-candidate election procedures.
These measures collectively seek to strengthen the judicial accountability framework.
Topics: #ministry #judicial #election
