Bulgaria's judiciary faces a shortfall of up to BGN 16 M and cannot cover basic activities of the system, according to conclusions from the Thursday meeting of the Supreme Judicial Council (VSS).

As a result, VSS members had no choice but to invite Finance Minister Simeon Djankov to an urgent meeting to solve the problem which surfaced back at the time of the adoption of the 2013 State Budget Act, according to reports of mediapool.bg.

"The matter does not involve the comfort of magistrates or the payment of bonuses, but Bulgarian citizens. When the money is not enough for expert witnesses and compensations under the State and Municipal Liability for Damages Act, the matter concerns Bulgarian citizens," said Lazar Gruev, Chair of the Supreme Court of Cassation (VKS).

During the debates on the 2013Budget Act, magistrates warned MPs that the money allocated to the judiciary in 2013 would not even suffice to pay maintenance and utility bills of the system.

The state prosecutor's office explained that they had already run up a debt for 2012 and had no money to pay citizens' compensations under the State and Municipal Liability for Damages Act.

However, the warnings and complaints of representatives of the judiciary were not taken into account during the budget vote.

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