site.btaJustice Minister Meets Norwegian Courts Administration Representatives

Minister of Justice Georgi Georgiev met with representatives of the Norwegian Courts Administration to secure funding for the future Justice Programme of the Norwegian Financial Mechanism (NFM), the Ministry's press office said here on Friday. The representatives of the Norwegian Courts Administration are also partners of the Ministry in the future Justice Programme of the NFM.

"On behalf of the Ministry and all institutions in Bulgaria, on my first working day in the new position, I would like to confirm our intention to continue the good cooperation with the Norwegian Courts Administration," Georgiev said.

He outlined the topics, focusing on the problem of domestic violence and access to justice. He said one of the reasons for distrust in the justice system is slow justice and the problems of securing timely assistance from expert witnesses in cases, especially those involving traffic accidents. The Minister said one of his main tasks was to work on legislative amendments that would speed up the judicial process.

As another priority, he highlighted the regular training of Bulgarian judges on the protection of human rights, in which Bulgaria's Norwegian partners play a key role. The Justice Minister noted the important role of the NFM in the development of the penitentiary system in Bulgaria and the protection of human rights.

Norwegian Courts Administration Senior Advisor Audun Hognes Berg expressed his gratitude for the Minister's quick involvement in the issues and confirmed his readiness to cooperate on the priority topics - domestic violence and increasing confidence in the judiciary. 

A Memorandum of Understanding is to be signed between Bulgaria and Norway and the Norwegian government is expected to designate the Norwegian Courts Administration as a partner of the Ministry of Justice in the management of the future programme, the statement said.