BILI in the Media

Attorney Hristo Ivanov and Judge Kalin Kalpakchiev commented the proposed amendments in the Judiciary System Act. Our efforts are concentrated on the attainment of transparent and objective elections and control of the judiciary., commented Mr Ivanov.

The SJC chairperson Mrs. Anelia Mingova, Mrs. Kapka Kostova and Mrs. Bilyana Gyaurova commented on the critics in the February report of the European Commission on the judiciary.

The Bulgarian Ombudsman recommended to the Minister of labour and social policy that part of the text of an instructing letter sent on 22.04.2010 written by the director of Social assistance agency must be repealed because it imposes barriers to the legally defined objective to enable the receipt of financial aid by citizens for the issuance of their personal IDs.

The SJC will provide assistance to BILI and the US Embassy in Bulgaria in the realization of a monitoring project on the observation and electronic administration of the random case assignment principle (RCA) in the Supreme Administrative court, the Supreme Court of Cassation and Sofia City Court

Bilyana is discussing the necessity of amendments in the Judiciary System Act in an interview with the BNR journalist Silvia Velikova.

Still our request is open discussion of the necessary amendments in the JSA, concerning the elections of inspectors in the ISJC and members of the SJC elected by the parliamentary quota to be initiated, notified Bilyana.

"The appointments procedure of judicial inspectors to the ISJC is shrouded in silence, uncertainty and disturbing haste.", commented Hristo Ivanov.

"I am extremely disappointed by the deficit of democracy in the Bulgarian parliament."

Bilyana defined the upcoming procedure as total ignorance of all democratic rules.

The lawyer Yonko Grozev held a lecture on Strategic litigation to third-year Law students from the Veliko Turnovo University "Sv. Sv. Kiril i Metodii" Faculty of Law. The training is part of the project Partnership for Roma Protection, Prevention and Promotion, implemented by the Bulgarian university in partnership with universities from Romania, Serbia and Macedonia.

The gratuitous provision of legal advice is part of the project Partnership for Roma Protection, Prevention and Promotion. Legal consultations will be provided every monday, tuesday and thursday from 3:30 pm to 4:00 pm at the Legal clinic reception-hall in Veliko Tarnovo University "Sv.Sv. Kiril i Metodii"*.

The first of its kind Roma law school opened doors yesterday afternoon in the Roma neighbourhood located in "Vladislav Varnenchik" suburb in Varna. The initiative is part of project Partnership for Roma Protection, Prevention and Promotion implemented by BILI.

"The "random" distribution of the cases in the courts needs an external monitoring", commented Bilyana.

Watch the full video

Analysis by Bilyana Gyaurova - Wegertseder

Club "Objective", Bulgarian Helsinki Committee

By Hristo Ivanov

Analysis by Hristo Ivanov

After a delay of two years Nestor Nestorov and Kiril Gogev were elected for members of the SJC from the parliamentary quota.

Interview with Hristo Ivanov on the Bulgarian National Radio

Both candidatures of the parliament for members of the Supreme Judicial Council are disturbing and unconvincing, states the NGO.

An important edition of "Referendum" which gathers in one studio all perspectives of representatives of the judiciary and the legal profession.

Magistrates and lawyers in an outspoken discussion concerning the problems in the court and the prosecution office and what can be done to solve them

Suspicions occurred concerning manipulations of the system for random distribution of cases in the Haskovo's District Court.

Interview with Hristo Ivanov on the Bulgarian National Radio

Interview with Nelly Kutskova, Yonko Grozev, Tihomir Bezlov and Bilyana Gyaurova - Wegertseder on the Bulgarian National Television

The Minister of Justice Margarita Popova convened the Public Council to her cabinet due to the crisis in the judicial system's management and with request for specific proposals.

The heads of judicial institutions who were elected after scandalous elections, through vicious procedure and lack of actual motives, should demonstrate their responsibility as leaders by resigning.

Interview with Bilyana Gyaurova - Wegertseder on the Bulgarian National Radio

The efforts of the state prosecution directed towards justice and fairness are insufficient.

This is what ten NGOs state in an open letter addressed to the President Georgy Purvanov, the president of the parliament Tsetska Tsacheva and the Supreme Judicial Council (SJC).

The election of President of the Supreme Administrative Court is outlining as an episod of deal under the table between the SJC and the government

This is what four NGOs propose in a letter to the Supreme Judicial Council.

This is what the distinguished legal academics agreed upon during the conference "Road map of University Law Education Reform" carried out by BILI under the patronage of the Minister of Justice Margarita Popova.

The main deficits of legal education in Bulgaria are the lack of practical inclination in the courses, the insufficient training in EU Law and European practice, the poor foreign language preparation of the students and the lack of skills for drafting different legal documents.

Members of the judicial and prosecutorial quota should sepаratеly make decisions concerning the career development of judges and prosecutors and specific administrative issues of both parts of the judiciary.

The Supreme Judicial Council (SJC) should be divided in two - one for judges and one for prosecutors, the term of office of the Council should be reduced, the parliamentary quota should be elected by a qualified majority, there should be a broader representation of magistrates in the election of members of the SJC from the judicial quota. These are only some of the changes proposed by a few NGOs.

Fourteen NGOs demanded the election of the President of the Sofia city court by the Supreme Judicial Council to be conducted according to a procedure which would exclude conflict of interests between the members of the Council and the candidates for the position.