site.btaUnion of Judges Urges President to Veto Revisions to Two Judiciary Laws

Sofia, August 1 (BTA) - The Union of Judges in Bulgaria wrote to President Rumen Radev Monday urging him to veto controversial revisions to two laws concerning the functioning of the judiciary: the Judicial System Act and the Code of Criminal Procedure. The judges argue that provisions in both bills of amendments go against the Constitution and that some of them, contrary to the declared purpose of the revisions, harm the rights of the parties in the criminal process and will complicate and encumber this process without stepping it up.

The said revisions were recently passed on the votes of GERB, the United Patriots and the Movement for Rights and Freedoms and the arguments of the opponents were ignored.

One revision (to the Judicial System Act) that prompted the reaction of the Union of Judges allows the elected members of the Supreme Judicial Council (SJC) to pick where they want to serve after the end of their SJC tenure. According to the judges, this puts in a disadvantaged position all other magistrates, who have to win a competition to take a position they want. 

The controversial revision in the Code of Criminal Procedure the Union slams transfers the cases of high-level corruption from the Sofia City Court to the specialized criminal court which has to date tried only organized crime cases. The Union argues that "the very idea to have senior state officials tried by the specialized criminal court alongside the masterminds and members of organized criminal groups, undermines the idea of statehood".