The team associated with the Bulgarian caretaker Justice Minister, Andrey Yankulov, has finalized revisions to the Judicial System Act. According to a recent press release from the ministry, these proposed changes aim to strengthen the election procedures governing both the Supreme Judicial Council (SJC) and the SJC Inspectorate. The draft legislation is slated for review by the next government to be elected by Parliament.
The revisions introduce several key mechanisms. First, a special commission, composed of professionals independent of political forces, will conduct a formal assessment of candidates. This body will provide objective evaluations regarding the candidates’ integrity, strengths, and weaknesses.
The commission will draw members from institutions not under direct parliamentary control, including the general assemblies of the Supreme Courts, the President, the National Ombudsman, and the Supreme Bar Council. These entities will prepare candidate profiles for the parliamentary Legal Affairs Committee and make them publicly available. Furthermore, the bill mandates a second provisional commission to verify the asset declarations of all candidates for the SJC and SJC Inspectorate.
This commission will include financial experts from organizations such as the Institute of Certified Public Accountants, the Chamber of Independent Appraisers of Bulgaria, and the Bulgarian National Bank. The verification process will confirm the truthfulness of the declarations and investigate any transactions conducted at suspiciously low prices or using funds of unclear origin. Finally, the proposed changes grant the Justice Minister the authority to contest decisions made by the SJC in court.
This addresses a current gap in the judicial review process, as the existing law limits appeals primarily to directly affected individuals, potentially hindering review in scenarios involving only one candidate.
Topics: #ministry #judicial #election
