Judges Elect Six Members of Supreme Judicial Council
Following a 24-hour meeting of a delegate general meeting, judges from all over the country elected six members of Bulgaria's top judicial body, the Supreme Judicial Council (SJC), from their professional quota, the Bulgarian News Agency (BTA) reported.
The election was broadcast live in the Internet and was followed closely by journalists and NGOs. To be elected, a candidate had to be backed by 50% of all votes plus one.
Earlier this month, Bulgaria's parliament began its first ever public hearings of candidates for SJC members in a bid for transparency in the judiciary. The election of a new 25-member SJC, which will be in charge of all further appointments in the judiciary over the next five years including a chief prosecutor shortly, is monitored by the European Commission.
Parliament will pick 11 candidates to join the SJC, the judges associations will fill 11 other seats, and the chief prosecutor and the chiefs of the country's supreme appeal and administrative courts will appoint the remaining three SJC members.