site.btaJustice Minister, Prosecutor General Agree that Judicial Reform Must not Be Carried Out under Pressure from the Street

Justice Minister, Prosecutor General Agree that Judicial Reform Must not Be Carried Out under Pressure
from the Street

Sofia, July 16 (BTA) - Justice Minister Hristo Ivanov and
Prosecutor General Sotir Tsatsarov agreed on Thursday that the
judicial reform must not be carried out under pressure from the
street.

The two commented the topic in front of journalists amid two
protests - one against Ivanov and the other against Tsatsarov -
staged before the Supreme Judicial Council's (SJC) meeting.

People want reform, said Minister Ivanov, adding that the
arguments surrounding the details must not distort the picture.
The Prosecutor General added that the citizens want swift and
just trials. The idea is to burry the hatchet and take the pens,
 Tsatsarov said. Ivanov in turn added that he only has a pen and
 could just raise it up.

Unfortunately the good ideas sometimes get swallowed up by
populist aspirations, Tsatsarov said, noting that the judicial
reform must be conducted with maximum pragmatism and zero
populism. He explained that this does not concern the SJC's
building, but Parliament's and the people who are in there. The
Prosecutor General said that the draft constitutional amendment
must happen, adding however, that it also contains nonsense and
some of the legal and technical texts are written imperfectly.

Tsatsarov noted that the Wednesday meeting with President
Plevneliev was a working one, with the topic being the way in
which the changes in the Judiciary must continue. He said that
he was left with the impression that Plevneliev shares his
opinion about the direction in which the judicial reform must
go.

The Prosecutor General admitted that there are problems in the
prosecuting magistracy, but an efficient investigation can be
conducted with an efficient police and an efficient State Agency
 for National Security, everyone of which in his words, also
have problems.

Commenting the European Commission's verbal report, Tsatsarov
said that according to the Commission, Bulgaria must carry out a
 judicial reform in order to receive any progress assessment,
which is nothing new.