site.btaNGOs Want President to Conduct Public Consultations before Signing Decree to Appoint New Chairman of Supreme Court of Cassation

NGOs Want President to Conduct Public Consultations before Signing Decree to Appoint New Chairman of Supreme Court of Cassation

Sofia, February 2 (BTA) - Six nongovernmental organisations
Monday called upon President Rosen Plevneliev to conduct public
consultations before he decides to sign the decree for
appointing Lozan Panov as President of the Supreme Court of
Cassation (SCC).

The Bulgarian Judges Association, the Association for European
Integration and Human Rights, the Bulgarian Lawyers for Human
Rights Foundation, the Bulgarian Institute for Legal
Initiatives, the Helsinki Committee and the RiskMonitor
Foundation are to deliver the letter, a copy of which was
received at BTA, today.

The NGOs are doubtful about the secrecy of the vote with which
the Supreme Judicial Council (SJC) elected Panov last Thursday.

They ask whether the constitutional requirement for a secret
vote has been kept and whether the equality of the candidates
was ensured.

The six organisations also express doubts that the motives
determining the SJC decision were convincing and transparent as
the reasoning and the supporting facts expressed by the
council's members do not correspond to the outcome of the vote,
the letter says further. The letter also states that it is
particularly concerning that the support of justices for one of
the candidates was absolutely ignored in stark contrast with the
fundamental principles on which self-governance of judicial
power is based.