site.btaPublic Consultation Yields 300 Pages of Proposed Revisions to Judicial System Bill - Justice Minister

In a public consultation, members of the public, professional organizations and individual magistrates have submitted 300 pages of proposed revisions to the Judicial System Bill drafted by the previous regular government, Bulgarian caretaker Justice Minister Mariya Pavlova said here on Thursday. She spoke to the media on her way into a discussion on the draft legislation. Pavlova specified that most of the changes proposed concerned the nomination and election of members of the Supreme Judicial Council (SJC) and the Supreme Prosecutorial Council, the SJC Inspectorate, and the competition and appraisal procedures. 

Hosted by the Sofia Palace of Justice, Thursday’s discussion with magistrates and academics is organized by the Justice Ministry.

Pavlova described as "substantial" the changes to the bill proposed during the public consultation. Among the problematic areas, she also mentioned mixed court panels, jurors, and magistrates' secondment and training. 

The Justice Minister said that recent amendments to the Constitution require a package of legislative revisions to be adopted by the end of June, including the new Judicial System Act,  in order to regulate the functioning of the judicial system. This deadline cannot possibly be met, considering that more than 120 laws need to be amended.