"The members of this Supreme Judicial Council, who are about to return to the system, should not be allowed to do so simply with a re-appointment act. It is necessary to review what they have done during these years. This should be an action that is required. These people should not be allowed to corrupt the system from within again".
This was stated to the Bulgarian National Radio by Ivan Bregov, Legal Program of the Institute for Market Economy.
He commented on whether the parliamentary quota of the Supreme Judicial Council should include people from scientific circles and the non-governmental sector.
"This quota should be open. The law allows it for lawyers with 15 years of experience and high professional and moral qualities".
The resource of the professional quota should be encouraged, not suppressed, Bregov also believes.
"The biggest guarantee in the professional quota should be that there will be no vote tampering. If the secrecy and security of the vote in the professional community is guaranteed and it once again elects chairmen, i.e. transforms the nomenclature at the judicial level into a nomenclature at the administrative level, then all fears will be confirmed that perhaps this is not the way. This will be a fundamental shake-up, which if it does not find political recognition, will go deep into the core of the system".
He analyzed whether there should be a limitation on the actions of the Supreme Judicial Council with an expired mandate.
"Such a type of limitation of competence was allowed by not being able to elect a prosecutor general and representatives of the supreme courts. These changes were voted on in January 2024. This is a reasonable decision. I do not see a point of conflict, but a consistent action that will be supported by the State Duma and the People's Party".
It is necessary to check the property status and activities of those people who will be nominated as members of the Supreme Judicial Council, Bregov also noted.
In order for things to change in the judicial system, according to Bregov, it is necessary:
"Persons from the highest echelons of power should not benefit from the special protection of the law, but should be treated equally. To see what the costs of justice would be for every Bulgarian citizen, because at the moment they are unbearable. To improve the environment from within, which can be very easily measured. To have a professional assessment of quality, where the legal profession can be strongly involved. If you open the attestation procedures of judges, prosecutors and investigators and see the disciplinary proceedings for each year, they should be such that they inspire faith that the one who exaggerates and distorts will receive a sanction".
The Minister of Justice can be a very strong figure, Ivan Bregov also commented on the program "Above All".
"If he is left with a wide field of action and he is not pressured by the two strong figures in this government – one will undoubtedly be Radev's, the other – of the former Minister of Justice Demerdzhiev, and knowing the problems of the system very well from the inside, because this is a person who has been everywhere in the administration of the judiciary, I think there may be some pleasant surprises".
Let's see what they will introduce today as projects in the Judiciary Law, he also pointed out.
"This is the first thing that will say what the actions will be".
Mr. Peevski will probably want to fit in with any convenient majority, Bregov also predicted.