site.btaDraft Revisions to Judicial System Act Envisage Magistrates to Declare Cryptocurrency

The Ministry of Justice proposed that magistrates declare funds available in cryptocurrency in their asset declarations submitted to the Inspectorate of the Supreme Judicial Council (SJC). This is written in amendments to the Judicial System Act published for public consultation, the Justice Department said on Friday. In the event of a discrepancy between the declared and established facts, the Inspectorate is to send its report to the competent authorities if the discrepancy found is at least BGN 25,000.

Another proposal is that nominations for inspectors and inspector general to the Inspector General of the Supreme Court of Justice be made not only by MPs, but also by the General Assembly of the two supreme courts, the Supreme Constitutional Court (SCC) and the Supreme Administrative Court (SAC), as well as by  prosecutors of the Supreme Prosecution Office (SPO) and the investigators of the National Prosecution Office (NPO) at a general assembly.

A new key provision proposed in the bill is the legal regulation of the periodicity of competitions for promotion and transfer of judges, prosecutors and investigators in the judiciary. The bill provides for annual competitions for promotion and transfer to be held in succession. It introduces a new stage in the assessment of candidates - an interview on practical legal issues.

The legal provision that an act or omission, including a violation of the Code of Ethical Conduct for Bulgarian Judges, or the Code of Ethical Conduct for Bulgarian Prosecutors and Investigators, which damages the prestige of the judiciary, constitutes a disciplinary offence, is clarified. This will apply in cases where the breach of ethical rules is not minor.