The team associated with the Bulgarian caretaker Justice Minister, Andrey Yankulov, has released revised drafts of the Judicial System Act. According to a statement from the ministry, these revisions aim to enhance the procedures governing the election of members to the Supreme Judicial Council (SJC) and the SJC Inspectorate. The proposed legislation is slated for consideration by the next Parliament to be elected by the government.
The amendments introduce several structural safeguards. First, they mandate the formation of a special commission composed of professionals independent of political forces. This body would conduct a professional assessment of candidates, providing an objective evaluation of their integrity, strengths, and weaknesses.
This commission would be established by non-Parliamentary institutions, including the Supreme Courts, the President, the National Ombudsman, and the Supreme Bar Council. The resulting candidate profiles would be submitted to the parliamentary Legal Affairs Committee and made public. Furthermore, the bill proposes a separate provisional commission dedicated to verifying the asset declarations of all candidates.
Representation on this financial review body would come from experts such as the Institute of Certified Public Accountants, the Chamber of Independent Appraisers of Bulgaria, and the Bulgarian National Bank. This verification process aims to confirm the truthfulness of declarations and investigate any transactions executed at suspiciously low prices or using unclear funds. The revisions also grant the Justice Minister the authority to contest any instruments adopted by the SJC in court.
This measure is intended to address gaps in the current judicial review process, particularly where the law limits appeals only to directly affected individuals. These changes represent a significant overhaul of the judicial oversight mechanisms surrounding the SJC election process.
Topics: #ministry #judicial #election
