On February 14, representatives of 12 NGOs submitted a package of proposals for amendments in the Judiciary System Act to the Minister of Justice - Ms Diana Kovacheva. The proposed amendments concern the replenishment of the judiciary and parliamentary quotas of the Supreme Judicial Council.
The package of proposed amendments was approved by the General Assembly of the Bulgarian Judges Association and supported by 11 NGOs: Association for European Integration and Human Rights, BILI, Bulgarian lawyers for Human Rights, Bulgarian Helsinki Committee, Institute for Public Environment Development, Network for civic monitoring of the court and NGO Center in Razgrad, Access to Information Programme, RiskMonitor Foundation, Center for the Study of Democracy, Center for Liberal Strategies and Program for the development of the Judicial system.
The proposed amendments offer an opportunity to Bulgaria to present a judicious reply to the criticism and recommendations in the February interim report of the EC.