The caretaker Justice Minister of Bulgaria, Andrey Yankulov, announced that his team has drafted revisions to the Judicial System Act designed to strengthen the procedures governing the Supreme Judicial Council (SJC) and the SJC Inspectorate. According to a press release issued by the ministry, this draft legislation is slated for review by the next government to be elected by Parliament. The proposed revisions introduce a mandatory vetting process for candidates.
A special commission, composed of professionals independent of political forces, will assess candidates’ integrity, strengths, and weaknesses. This body will draw its members 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 institutions will prepare candidate profiles for the parliamentary Legal Affairs Committee, which will subsequently be made public.
Furthermore, the bill mandates a second provisional commission to verify the asset declarations of all candidates. This commission will involve 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 investigate any transactions involving suspiciously low pricing or unclear funding sources.
The revisions also address the scope of oversight within the judicial system. The Justice Minister will gain the authority to contest any instruments adopted by the SJC in court. This is intended to remedy a gap in the judicial review process, particularly in situations involving single-candidate elections.
The ministry emphasized that these changes aim to enhance the integrity surrounding the election and operation of the judicial bodies.
Topics: #ministry #judicial #election
