In a letter to the members of the Parliamentary Assembly to the Council of Europe a coalition of eight leading Rule of Law and Human Rights NGOs in Bulgaria share their assessment of the progress of the judicial reform in the country.
The NGOs conclude that the principal challenge faced by the Bulgarian judicial branch is that its independence continues to be seriously undermined. They further state that the key factor eroding judicial independence has been pressure by the government and political and economic vested interests. In addition, they point out that fundamental structural reforms are needed to eliminate the institutional basis for corruption and political and economic pressure and that sustainable reforms in Bulgaria can only be ensured by international involvement.
The authors of the letter remind that they have expressed on numerous occasions their growing concern that independence of the judiciary in Bulgaria continues to be undermined and addressing this issue is not a priority for the national institutions. They cite recent events where the attacks against judges by representatives of the executive continue and the ruling majority continues the longstanding practice of undermining judicial independence by making appointments of members of the Supreme Judicial Council, court presidents or other court officers, not based on their professional merit or even regardless of their questionable integrity, but solely on considerations of political expediency, such as political connections.
Another aspect which the letter stresses on is the need for structural reform which becomes ever more relevant since merely changing the manner of electing the heads of the judiciary has proven to be insufficient for the purposes of severing the channels of undue influence and producing responsible leadership and competent governance.
International support is necessary for adequate, sustainable and irreversible reforms in Bulgaria as well as for the continuing efforts of judges, journalists, civil society organizations and other community members to challenge and oppose the status quo.