Bulgaria’s Supreme Judicial Council (VSS) rejected on Thursday the draft amendments to the Judicial System Act which had been prepared by the justice ministry.

Ten members of VSS voted in favour of the decision of the chairperson of the Supreme Administrative Court, Georgi Kolev, to not accord with the draft changes. The remaining eight members voted against.

Chief Prosecutor Sotir Tsatsarov and chairperson of the Supreme Court of Cassation (VKS) Lozan Panov were absent from the meeting of VSS.

Kolev had expressed sharp criticism against some of the proposed changes.

Despite the rejection, the draft will be tabled for approval by the government next week and will be later subject to discussion in parliament.

The second package of amendments to the Judicial System Act concerns the management of courts and the prosecutor’s office.

The draft was also subject of discussion in the Council for judicial reform, which features members of VSS.

Justice Minister Ekaterina Zaharieva reacted harshly to the rejection of the draft, calling it “absurd” as some of the proposals criticized by VSS had been suggested by VSS itself.