The caretaker Justice Minister, Andrey Yankulov’s ministry, has released draft revisions to the Judicial System Act. These amendments are designed to enhance the procedures governing the election processes for both the Supreme Judicial Council (SJC) and the SJC Inspectorate. The draft legislation is slated for consideration by the next government to be elected by Parliament.
The proposed revisions introduce several key changes. First, they mandate the formation of a specialized commission composed of professionals independent of political forces. This body will conduct an objective assessment of candidates, evaluating their integrity, strengths, and weaknesses.
To ensure impartiality, this commission will be drawn from institutions not directly controlled by Parliament, including the general assemblies of the Supreme Courts, the President, the National Ombudsman, and the Supreme Bar Council. These bodies will generate candidate profiles for the parliamentary Legal Affairs Committee, which will subsequently be made public. Furthermore, the bill proposes establishing a second provisional commission tasked with verifying the asset declarations of SJC and SJC Inspectorate candidates.
This verification commission will include expertise from financial analysis bodies such as the Institute of Certified Public Accountants, the Chamber of Independent Appraisers of Bulgaria, and the Bulgarian National Bank. This process aims to confirm the truthfulness of declarations and investigate any transactions involving suspiciously low pricing or unclear funding sources. The revisions also strengthen the judicial oversight mechanisms.
While the current law limits appeals to directly affected individuals, the draft empowers the Justice Minister to contest any instruments adopted by the SJC in court, addressing a current gap in judicial review. These measures collectively aim to increase transparency and rigor in the selection and oversight of judicial bodies.
Topics: #ministry #judicial #election
