The team associated with the Bulgarian caretaker Justice Minister, Andrey Yankulov, has submitted revisions to the Judicial System Act aimed at improving the procedures for the Supreme Judicial Council (SJC) and the SJC Inspectorate. According to a press release issued by the ministry, the draft legislation is slated for review by the next government to be elected by Parliament. The proposed revisions introduce several layers of oversight for the upcoming judicial election processes.
First, the bill mandates the establishment of a special commission composed of professionals independent of political parties. This commission will be responsible for conducting an objective assessment of candidates’ integrity, strengths, and weaknesses. To ensure impartiality, this body must be formed by institutions outside direct parliamentary control, including the general assemblies of the Supreme Courts, the President, the National Ombudsman, and the Supreme Bar Council.
These entities will create candidate profiles for the parliamentary Legal Affairs Committee, which will subsequently be made public. Furthermore, the legislation proposes a second provisional commission dedicated to verifying asset declarations for SJC and SJC Inspectorate candidates. This commission will include financial experts from the Institute of Certified Public Accountants, the Chamber of Independent Appraisers of Bulgaria, and the Bulgarian National Bank.
Their role is to confirm the truthfulness of declarations and identify any transactions conducted at suspiciously low prices or involving funds of unclear origin. Finally, the proposed amendments grant the Justice Minister the authority to contest decisions made by the SJC in court. This measure addresses a gap in the judicial review process, as current law restricts appeals primarily to directly affected individuals, which severely limits judicial oversight, particularly in elections involving only one candidate.
Topics: #ministry #judicial #election
