site.btaJudges Elect All Six Representatives to Supreme Judicial Council

Judges Elect  All Six Representatives to Supreme Judicial Council

Sofia, June 18 (BTA) - Judges on Sunday elected their representatives to the new Supreme Judicial Council (SJC). The newly elected members are Atanaska Disheva (Supreme Administrative Court), Krassimir Shekerdjiev (Supreme Court of Cassation), Olga Kerelska (Supreme Court of Cassation), Boryana Dimitrova (Bourgas District Court President), Sevdalin Mavrov (Supreme Court of Cassation), and Tsvetinka Pashkounova (Supreme Court of Cassation).

None of the candidates garnered more than 50 per cent of the valid votes and thus the highest vote getters were elected. Only Pashkounova won more than 50 per cent of the votes of judges across the country in the first round of voting.

This wrapped up the first direct elections of SJC members in line with last year's revisions to the Judicial System Act.

Turnout in the second round of voting was high at 85.79 per cent, or 1,920 of all 2,238 sitting judges. The valid paper ballots were 457 and the Internet votes were 1,455.

Earlier prosecutors elected to the SJC Pernik District Prosecutor Plamen Naydenov, Georgi Kouzmanov of the Bourgas Appellate Prosecution Office, Daniela Masheva of the Supreme Cassation Prosecution Office and former Razgrad District Prosecutor Ognyan Damyanov. Investigating magistrates will be represented by Evgeni Dikov.

Now Parliament is set to elect its 11 representatives on the SJC with a two-thirds majority. The new lineup of the SJC will step in office in October 2017.