site.btaUpdated Strategy for Judicial Reform Envisages Division of Supreme Judicial Council into Two Chambers

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Updated Strategy for Judicial Reform
Envisages Division of Supreme
Judicial Council into Two Chambers


Sofia, October 14 (BTA) - A draft update of a judicial reform
strategy envisages the division of the Supreme Judicial Council
(SJC) into a judicial and a prosecution chamber. The draft was
presented by Justice Minister Hristo Ivanov on Tuesday.

The 11-member parliamentary quota in the SJC will also be
divided into the two chambers: five of the members nominated by
Parliament will join the chamber of judges and the other six
will become members of the prosecution chamber, the strategy
envisages.

Taking the prosecution magistracy out of the judiciary has not
been discussed, said Ivanov, according to whom a debate is
necessary on
the prosecutors' greater independence.

The updated strategy includes the option of an international
expert opinion analysing the need of such a change in the
prosecuting magistracy. Another new idea envisages the option of
an individual constitutional complaint, Ivanov explained. He
specified that the strategy's update is not just for one year,
as an action plan, but for a term of around seven years.