site.btaSJC, EC Mission Discuss Ethics and Disciplinary Issues

SJC, EC Mission Discuss Ethics and  Disciplinary Issues

Sofia, October 2 (BTA) - The expert mission of the European
Commission under the Cooperation and Verification Mechanism and
the members of the Professional Ethics Commission and the
Disciplinary Proceedings Commission reviewed the work of the
Supreme Judicial Council (SJC) in the field, SJC said.

The EC representatives pointed out the need of changes to the
Judicial Power Act in respect to disciplinary proceedings and
acquainted themselves with the SJC proposals for revisions.

The chairs of the two commissions, Yasen Todorov and Galya
Georgieva, presented statistics of the violations of the Ethical
 Code of Bulgarian Magistrates and the ensuring disciplinary
proceedings. The Ethics Commission has reviewed 1,212 appeals in
 2012, 1,663 appeals in 2013, 1,506 appeals in 2014 and 1,996
appeals have been submitted from the beginning of this year.
Many of them were against results for initial appointment of
magistrates. 

A total of 106 disciplinary proceedings were launched during the
 mandate of the incumbent SJC. Eight magistrates were removed
from office as a result.

* * *

On Friday Parliament extended to November 10 included the
deadline for MPs tabling proposals for inspectors in the SJC
Inspectorate. Revisions to the procedural rules for nomination,
notification, hearing and election of inspectors were also
passed. The Chairman of the parliamentary Legal Affairs
Committee, Danail Kirilov, recalled that the National Assembly
should elect ten inspectors from its quota with a majority of
two-thirds.