The Bulgarian caretaker Justice Minister, Andrey Yankulov, announced 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 on Friday, the draft legislation is slated for review by the next government elected by Parliament. The proposed amendments introduce several mechanisms to enhance transparency during the selection process.
Key among these is the establishment of a special commission composed of professionals independent of political forces. This commission is tasked with providing an objective assessment of candidates, evaluating their integrity, strengths, and weaknesses. To ensure impartiality, this body will be formed by institutions outside the direct control of Parliament, including the general assemblies of the Supreme Courts, the President, the National Ombudsman, and the Supreme Bar Council.
These institutions will generate candidate profiles for the parliamentary Legal Affairs Committee and make them public. Furthermore, the bill mandates a separate provisional commission to verify the asset declarations of all candidates for the SJC and the SJC Inspectorate. This commission will involve experts from financial analysis fields, such as the Institute of Certified Public Accountants, the Chamber of Independent Appraisers of Bulgaria, and the Bulgarian National Bank.
The goal is to confirm the veracity of the declarations and investigate any transactions conducted at suspiciously low prices or using unclear funds. The revisions also address the judicial review process. The Justice Ministry notes that the current law limits appeal rights to only directly affected individuals, making judicial review nearly impossible in single-candidate election scenarios.
The draft empowers the justice minister to contest decisions made by the SJC in court, filling this procedural gap. Finally, the asset declarations for candidates nominated through the judicial quota will be verified by the SJC Inspectorate.
Topics: #ministry #judicial #election
