Justice Ministry moves to end open-ended secondments of judges and prosecutors
Amendments to the Judicial System Act would set a maximum period for secondments and tighten selection procedures. The draft has been published for public consultation.
Symbolic image · Photo: Bin im Garten / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0 (cropped and resized)
Bulgaria's Justice Ministry has published for public consultation amendments to the Judicial System Act concerning the selection and secondment of judges, prosecutors and investigators. According to the BTA news agency, the aim is to strengthen competitive selection and safeguards against undue influence and to implement recommendations by the OECD and the European Commission. The draft provides for timely competitions and stricter criteria for appointments and promotions.
Secondment is to become a temporary and exceptional measure again, with a clear maximum total duration that also adds up secondments to different bodies. Magistrates whose most recent appraisal was below "very good" or who have served less than five years in their current post could not be seconded. The BTA report does not state the exact maximum period.
The draft also provides for an organisationally independent administration to support the prosecutor who investigates alleged crimes by the Prosecutor General or a deputy. Limiting long-term secondments and greater transparency in personnel decisions are listed as priorities in the government's judicial reform programme.