site.btaSupreme Cassation Court President Describes Last Constitutional Amendments as Mimicry

Supreme Cassation Court President Describes Last Constitutional Amendments asMimicry

Sofia, May 19 (BTA) - The President of the Supreme Court of Cassation, Lozan Panov, described the constitutional amendments passed by the previous Parliament as "mimicry". Panov, Prime Minister Boyko Borissov, Justice Minister Tsetska Tsacheva, and Deputy Prime Minister responsible for judicial reform and Foreign Minister Ekaterina Zaharieva held a meeting on Friday initiated by Panov. At the meeting, which continued for nearly two hours, Panov again insisted on a more profound judicial reform, particularly in the prosecuting magistracy.

Zaharieva and Tsacheva did not accept Panov's opinion about the constitutional amendments and said that the government has a will to press on with the judicial reform and work on the 17 indicators defined by the European Commission.

Panov once again stressed that he insists on a meeting with the President to discuss possible constitutional amendments.

Zaharieva said that people expect a swift judiciary and called for a fast pace of work and reducing the tension. "The Bulgarians can wait no longer for a fair judicial system," Zaharieva said, noting that the pace of work slowed down during the three-month tenure of the caretaker cabinet.

Tsacheva called for more concrete actions and said that she is ready to receive Panov to discuss concrete ideas for legal amendments "because speaking in general terms is stalling".

Zaharieva said that the discussion about reducing the number of members of the Supreme Judicial Council from the parliamentary quota "is on the agenda" but starting new constitutional amendments would delay all other acts.