site.btaJustice Minister Slavov Sends Draft Constitution Amendments to Venice Commission

Minister of Justice Atanas Slavov sent Venice Commission President Claire Bazy Malaurie  draft of changes to the Constitution, the Justice Ministry said on Monday.
The European Commission for Democracy through Law, better known as the Venice Commission, was requested to provide an urgent opinion on the project at the earliest stage. The draft of amendments to the basic law were attached to the request.

Minister Slavov expresses gratitude to Claire Bazy Malaurie for the previous expert opinions of the Venice Commission on the mechanism for the investigation of the Prosecutor General, finally voted in by the current Parliament.

In his letter, Slavov stated: "In order to further progress in our efforts to establish the rule of law in Bulgaria, we have launched a procedure for changes to the Constitution, including to fully implement the recommendations of the Venice Commission. For the successful conclusion of this process, we would like to receive an urgent opinion on the project at the earliest stage".

In the letter, Slavov indicated the main proposed amendments to the Constitution: limiting the powers of the prosecutor general to an administrative head of the Supreme Prosecutor's Office; increasing the independence of the Judicial Inspectorate; transformation of the current Supreme Judicial Council (SJC) by separating from it a Prosecutorial Council with a majority of members elected by Parliament; changes in the formation and powers of caretaker governments.

The package of constitutional changes, translated into English, will be officially provided to the Commission by the Foreign Ministry.

On July 28, GERB-UDF, Continue the Change - Democratic Bulgaria (CC-DB) and the Movement for Rights and Freedoms submitted to Parliament's registry a joint bill for changes to the Constitution, signed by 166 signatures members of the three parliamentary forces.