The Bulgarian caretaker Justice Minister, Andrey Yankulov, announced that his ministry has drafted revisions to the Judicial System Act aimed at enhancing the procedures governing the Supreme Judicial Council (SJC) and the SJC Inspectorate. These proposed changes are slated for review by the next government elected by Parliament. The draft legislation introduces a specialized, independent commission tasked with assessing candidates.
This commission, comprising professionals from bodies outside direct parliamentary control—including the general assemblies of the Supreme Courts, the President, the National Ombudsman, and the Supreme Bar Council—will provide an objective evaluation of candidates’ integrity and qualifications. The resulting candidate profiles will be submitted to the parliamentary Legal Affairs Committee and published for public scrutiny. Furthermore, the bill mandates the creation of a second provisional commission to verify the asset declarations of prospective SJC and Inspectorate members.
This commission will draw expertise from financial institutions, such as the Institute of Certified Public Accountants and the Bulgarian National Bank. Its role is to confirm the veracity of declarations and investigate any transactions involving questionable pricing or unclear funding sources. Candidates will have the opportunity to respond to any discrepancies found in these financial reviews.
A significant element of the reform addresses the oversight of the SJC. The Justice Minister will be granted the right to appeal decisions made by the SJC in court. This measure aims to rectify a current gap in the judicial review process, which currently restricts appeals primarily to individuals directly affected, a limitation that poses practical difficulties, particularly during single-candidate election procedures.
These revisions, spearheaded by the ministry, seek to strengthen the integrity of the entire judicial framework.
Topics: #ministry #judicial #election
