12 judges from the Sofia Court of Appeal, the Sofia City Court and the District Court in Varna have agreed to be included in the list from which the next prosecutor investigating the prosecutor general will be selected.
On November 20, the General Assembly of the Criminal Chamber of the Supreme Court of Cassation approved the list, the Supreme Court of Cassation announced, quoted by Nova TV.
These are acting magistrates holding the position of judge in the Supreme Court of Cassation from the Criminal Chamber or with rank of judge in the Supreme Court of Cassation from the criminal divisions of the appellate and district courts.
2 years ago, at the start of the mechanism, there were 21 judges willing to investigate the Prosecutor General. Among them were magistrates from the Supreme Court of Cassation, unlike the current list of judges.
By law, ad hoc prosecutors can be acting judges from the Criminal Chamber of the Supreme Court of Cassation or judges with the rank of "judge in the Supreme Court" from the criminal divisions of the appellate and district courts, who have worked as criminal judges for the last seven years before their inclusion in the list.
The participation of judges in the procedure is after their explicit consent. The mandate of the first judge who investigates the Prosecutor General and his deputies, Daniela Taleva, expires in December. If as of December 7 this year there are pending proceedings, it will be randomly selected which of the 12 judges will be appointed as the new special prosecutor.