Bulgaria's Supreme Judicial Council Stages Last-Minute Reshuffles

Politics » DOMESTIC | July 11, 2012, Wednesday // 13:23
Bulgaria: Bulgaria's Supreme Judicial Council Stages Last-Minute Reshuffles Photo by Sofia Photo Agency

Bulgaria's Supreme Judicial Council (VSS), whose term in office expires on October 3, has given up on its summer recess to prepare the appointment of its successors.

The step has been has been half-jokingly rumored to be the last chance for the current VSS members to appoint relatives at key positions in the judiciary.

On Thursday, Radostin Radkov, Chair of the Sofia Administrative Court, sought a replacement of his current deputies, suggesting relatives of influential magistrates as their replacements.

As a result, the current VSS panel, which has already been subject to substantial criticism over its questionable staff policy, sparked renewed condemnation, according to reports of dnevnik.bg.

Court chairs and heads of prosecutor's offices in Bulgaria are entitled to nominate their deputies to guarantee the principle of team work.

However, the opportunity is often exploited to form lobbyist and party-affiliated cliques and mutually beneficial partnerships in the judiciary.

The appointment of deputies of Radostin Radkov is important because the Sofia Administrative Court is the first-instance court for complaints against rulings issued by a number of state bodies and compensation claims for unjustified action or inaction on the part of the state administration.

The Sofia Administrative Court is also the court of last instance for complaints against penal rulings issued by the Automotive Transport Control Agency (KAT) unit in Sofia.

The agenda of Thursday's session of the VSS also includes the appointment of a Sofia Appellate Prosecutor.

The last attempt to nominate a Sofia Appellate Prosecutor, which was held in March, fell through because the candidates, Bozhidar Dzhambazov from the Sofia City Prosecutor's Office and Yordan Stoev, Deputy Sofia Appellate Prosecutor, gathered an equal number of votes.

On Thursday, the VSS will choose among the following candidates: Bozhidar Dzhambazov, largely said to be the favorite of Chief Prosecutor Boris Velchev, Angel Iliev, Deputy Sofia City Prosecutr, Stoycho Nenkov, prosecutor at the Sofia Appellate Prosecutor's Office and Vicho Vichev, appellate prosecutor.

The term of office of the current VSS members expires on October 3.

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Tags: Supreme Judicial Council, VSS, Chief Prosecutor, Boris Velchev, Sofia Appellate Prosecutor, Sofia Administrative Court, KAT

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