site.btaJustice Minister Zaharieva, AmbassadorsDiscussJudicial Reform

Justice Minister Zaharieva, Ambassadors Discuss Judicial Reform

Sofia, June 7 (BTA) - Justice Minister Ekaterina Zaharieva, ambassadors of the EU member states, the Kingdom of Norway and the Swiss Confederation, conferred on Tuesday, Zaharieva's ministry said. The meeting was at the joint initiative of Zaharieva and the Ambassador of the Netherlands here, Tom van Oorschot.

The meeting was also attended by Ognyan Zlatev, head of the Representation of the European Commission in Bulgaria, as well as by three deputy justice ministers.

Zaharieav acquainted the ambassadors with the focal points of the revisions to the Judiciary Act which endorse the principles of judicial self-governance, commission new authority to the Inspectorate with the Supreme Judicial Council, regulate the career development of magistrates, the manner of election and the status of the jury, as well as introducing additional rules for the bar examination. "With the proposed changes the prosecution will be united but not centralized. Prosecutors and investigators will no longer be subordinate to the prosecutor general. The reporting of the prosecutor general is increased, as well as that of the administrative heads in the prosecution system," Zaharieva explained.

The Justice Minister acquainted the ambassadors with the second part of the revisions to the Judicial Power Act which were discussed and adopted by the Judicial Council Reform. The intentions were tabled at the Council of Minister on June 15.

Ambassador Tom van Oorschot expressed his admiration for what Zaharieva's team has achieved in the last five months after the previous such meeting. "The legislative changes you plan form a basis for the generation of confidence in an independent and impartial judicial system, but the effect of these also depends on the capacity of the people who will apply them," he said, adding that he thinks the reform is moving in the correct direction.