site.btaJustice Minister Slavov: Trust in Judiciary Remains Systematically Low

Trust in the judicial system remains systematically low, said Justice Minister Atanas Slavov at the opening of a conference, titled: "Judicial mediation in Europe and the USA: Key to the Settlement of Pending Court Cases".

The event is organized by the Supreme Judicial Council.

"Mediation is an opportunity for people to see the civil face of justice. At a time of increasing social conflict that also affects business relationships, seeking resolution through settlement is a new kind of culture. We need this culture in the political process as well, because there has been a lot of division," Slavov added.

He recalled that there is one year left until the amendments to the Mediation Act and the Code of Civil Procedure come into force.

A lot of by-laws should be adopted to make the system work easier, a building fund should be secured so that the mediation centres could effectively ensure their activities, the Justice Minister said. 

Bulgaria has taken a major step by introducing mandatory mediation in certain types of cases. This was not a fad, but a task in the Recovery Plan, said the director of the Bulgarian Institute for Legal Initiatives Bilyana Gyaurova-Wegertseder.