Parliament passed three bills amending the Judicial System Act at first reading

Judicial reform has been given the green light after Parliament on May 14 approved at first reading all three draft laws proposing amendments to the Judicial System Act, submitted by Progressive Bulgaria, We Continue the Change and Democratic Bulgaria.

According to the ruling majority, the final changes are unlikely to come into force before July.

A key element common to all three proposals is a ban preventing the current Supreme Judicial Council (SJC) from making staffing and appointment decisions.

Olga Borisova of Progressive Bulgaria: “A ban is being introduced preventing individuals who, within the past seven years, have served as presidents of the Supreme Court of Cassation, the Supreme Administrative Court, the Prosecutor General, or their deputies, from being elected as members of the Supreme Judicial Council. The aim is to prevent the direct transfer of institutional influence from the highest levels of the system to the body responsible for governing it.”

The party linked to President Radev has proposed expanding the powers of the justice minister.

Olga Borisova of Progressive Bulgaria: “Our proposals also provide for the Minister of Justice to be granted the right to challenge decisions made by the plenary body and panels of the Supreme Judicial Council, with such appeals suspending the implementation of those decisions.”

Progressive Bulgaria has also proposed a new voting mechanism for members elected from the magistrates’ quota.

Borisova said: “Due to identified problems with electronic voting, the draft legislation envisages that elections for members from the magistrates’ quota should be conducted using paper ballots in district courts. We believe this will guarantee the security of the vote and enhance the legitimacy of the election process.”

Radev's party proposes expanded powers for the justice minister.

We Continue the Change and Democratic Bulgaria have proposed the introduction of a public quota within Parliament’s allocation of members to the Supreme Judicial Council (SJC).

Velislav Velichkov of We Continue the Change: “To ensure the election of a Supreme Judicial Council independent from political influence and oligarchic interference, we propose allowing preliminary nominations from the country’s leading legal and professional organisations. Each would nominate one candidate — including the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, the Union of Jurists in Bulgaria, the legal profession and others.”

Nadezhda Yordanova of Democratic Bulgaria: “The idea is for this to become a public quota rather than what, over the years, effectively became a parliamentary, meaning party-political, quota. That is why we are also putting forward proposals to broaden both the range and the opportunities for nominating SJC members. This would include the Supreme Bar Council and university law faculties meeting certain criteria — namely, the three highest-ranked universities.”

Vazrazhdane also declared support for all three draft bills.

Petar Petrov of Vazrazhdane: “Of course, this is not judicial reform in itself. It is one part of it — a step towards judicial reform.”

The three legislative proposals were approved with the backing of Progressive Bulgaria, GERB–UDF, We Continue the Change–Democratic Bulgaria and Vazrazhdane.

Movement for Rights and Freedoms supported only the proposals put forward by Progressive Bulgaria, voting against those submitted by We Continue the Change and Democratic Bulgaria.

Alexandra Valcheva of Progressive Bulgaria: “The lack of accountability and oversight within the judicial system ended today. We have launched a new reform process that has long been awaited, and I believe the trust placed in it should now be justified.”

The governing majority expects the amendments to the law to be adopted by the end of July, paving the way for the election of a new Prosecutor General in the autumn.