Today, the parliamentary group of “Continuing the Change - Democratic Bulgaria“ submitted a bill to amend and supplement the Bar Act, aiming to overcome the problems in the legal framework related to the remuneration of special representatives and the motives of the head of state, indicated in the case of a partial veto imposed by the President in 2024. This is stated in a statement from the formation sent to the media.
The main highlights of the bill include:
1. Determination of fair fees for special representatives:
The draft law introduces clear and predictable rules for determining fees, which will continue to be determined by the court, and not by local bar councils. This solution takes into account the legal and factual complexity of the cases, the urgency of the service and the protection of the rights of the parties, while being in line with EU rules and competition principles.
2. Fair costs of legal representation:
The proposed amendments to various laws (CPC, APC, ZANN, DOPK) address existing inconsistencies in the awarding of costs. In this way, abuses and unjustified burdening of citizens with additional costs are prevented.
3. Longer statute of limitations for disciplinary proceedings:
The bill proposes to increase the statute of limitations for disciplinary proceedings against lawyers from one to three years. This measure aims to overcome cases in which serious violations remain without consequences due to the too short term for disciplinary prosecution, as was the case with lawyer Mondeshki and the revelations surrounding the recordings with "the two khakis".
With the proposed amendments, "Continuing the Change" demonstrates its commitment to ensuring legal certainty and protecting the interests of citizens and businesses. The bill reflects European standards and solves practical problems accumulated in recent years.
"We believe that these changes will lead to greater fairness, transparency and efficiency for both lawyers and citizens," the submitters stated.