The Supreme Judicial Council decision to dismiss judge Miroslava Todorova leaves suspicion of bias, President Rosen Plevneliev told journalists in Varna. “As the President, I cannot help but be worried when judges in Bulgaria protest,” the President said. He emphasised, however, that he is optimistic about the judicial system and gave the example of Varna Regional Court, which decided 90 per cent of its cases within three months. These results must be made known to the public, President Plevneliev said. He underlined that only a transparent election process would make the next panel of the Supreme Judicial Council a strong and legitimate one.
The President today greeted the participants in the General Assembly of the Regional Court of Varna and was briefed on the basic aspects of the court’s activities, the court administration and electronic services provided by the institution.
Elections to the judiciary, starting now and ending in autumn, are particularly important because it will determine its appearance over the next five years, the President said in his address to Varna magistrates. According to President Plevneliev, the proposed amendments to the judiciary in relation to the selection procedure make it possible to make quality choices for the judicial system and to nominate suitable candidates. “I know how Bulgarian magistrates personally suffered in the scandals which we witnessed in recent years. But I also know that this is not an accurate image of Bulgarian magistrates. The elections are the mechanism that will allow you to advance those who are the best.” President Plevneliev said that the setting of clear rules for the selection and the possibility for any magistrate to nominate a member of the SJC according to his inner conviction was the most reliable guarantee of the independence of the judiciary.
A huge responsibility will be assigned to the new membership of the Supreme Judicial Council and its work will be scrutinised through a magnifying glass. This increased interest is a good opportunity to overcome the doubts that now linger around the Supreme Judicial Council and to restore confidence in the judicial system as a whole and in our country, the President told the magistrates. Therefore, according to the President, it is crucial for the country that the new Supreme Judicial Council begins its work with a high degree of public confidence and without any doubts about how it is constituted. A high level of public legitimacy is necessary for the new council members to do their job well and achieve the results that society expects, the President said.