Bulgaria adopts controversial legal reforms
Justice - Photo © James Steidl - Fotolia
(SOFIA) - Bulgaria's parliament on Wednesday voted in a raft of constitutional reforms aimed at safeguarding the independence of a judiciary that has long come in for EU criticism for being slow, inefficient and corrupt.
The reforms are controversial, however. A justice minister who had led the bid to overhaul the justice system and drafted proposed laws resigned last week, accusing MPs of watering down his texts.
The former minister, Hristo Ivanov, claims the new texts largely preserved the status quo.
The amendments were adopted with 189 votes for, 39 against and one abstention.
Under the reforms, the Supreme Judicial Council that is responsible for all legal appointments will now be split into two bodies: one for judges, the other for prosecutors.
The goal is to reduce the prosecution's dominance over the council.
Bulgaria has been a member of the European Union since 2007, but like Romania it has faced frequent criticism from the bloc over the vulnerability of its judiciary to corruption.
Brussels is set to next review Bulgaria's judiciary in January.