Bilyana Wegertseder, representative of the Bulgarian Institute for Legal Initiatives (BILI), recently joined Dr. Dimitar Keranov from the Transatlantic Foundation in the latest episode of the FOREST Podcast Series, published by the German Marshall Fund of the United States (GMF).
In an article published by EUalive titled “The Price of Bad Justice: How Bulgaria Keeps Paying for Systemic Flaws”, Bilyana Gyaurova-Wegertseder commented on the growing budgets of Bulgaria’s judiciary and the lack of corresponding results.
On July 14 BILI presented the 2013 Edition of the Prosecutorial Reform Index on a special conference, attended by representatives of the Prosecution, Ministry of Justice, Ministry of Internal Affairs, magistrates, academics, NGOs and media. The Director of BILI Ms Bilyana Wegertseder believes that the Prosecution should be open to cooperation with the non-governmental sector, which is an indication of its attempt to democratization and reform.
Hristo Ivanov comments the situation in Bulgaria and offers some actions for real change in an article published at dnevnik.bg
"Undoubtedly, some actions must be taken not to repeat the situation. However, these measures do not require new additions in the Penal Code. This is an attempt to respond to a field that there is no way to produce effective action. There are no financial reasons for banking panic." - commented Hristo Ivanov, Program Director of the Bulgarian Institute for Legal Initiatives on the current situation of the banking system for the "12+3" BNR broadcast.
Ms. Bilyana Wegertseder, Director at the Bulgarian Institute for Legal Initiatives, gave a fascinating presentation on the database BILI has put together profiling Bulgarian judges and prosecutors.
Is it possible to skip the question "Who?" when we talk about high-profile public officials’ parliamentary appointments. Bilyana Gyaurova-Wegertseder is discussing the issue in a thematic article published at Capital.bg.
One good practice was recognized in the Bulgaria annex to the EU Anti-corruption report. It concerns the role of NGOs in fostering transparency and accountability in the judiciary and namely that is the BILI’s Transparent Judicial Appointments Initiative.
The election of а Chief judicial inspector came to its logical fiasco. The result was set too obvious. Once the NGOs raised a number of questions regarding the procedure, and the European Commission transparently hinted that this backroom deal is obvious even in Brussels, the parliamentary forces quickly removed this poorly-tailored production from the scene, says Hristo Ivanov in his analysis for Dnevnik.bg
We will observe this procedure with high interest especially after in 2012 the SJC drafted new rules for election regarding this particular procedure. According to these rules, the Minister of Justice could also propose a nomination. If Dikov remains the only candidate, that will again show that the SJC took its decision in advance, before the actual decision of the Council - said Bilyana.
In an interview for mediapool.bg, BILI’s Program Director, Mr. Hristo Ivanov, is criticizing the Supreme Judicial Council for its complete lack of interest towards the communication and relations to the Civic Council thereto.
Bilyana Wegertseder is discussing the last amendments in the State Agency for National Security Act, the methodology of election procedures of state officials and what exactly should be changed in these procedures? Whether the transparency demonstrated also means transparency of the election?
Watch the video from the “Face to face” Btv Broadcast with Ms Guayrova-Wegertseder, Antoaneta Tsoneva and the Ombudsman of Bulgaria Konstantin Penchev discussing the civic protests Bulgaria, the eventual new election rules and the last amendments in the national security legislation.
BILI’s Director Mrs. Bilyana Gyaurova-Wegertseder is commenting on the new Rules of organization and procedure of the Parliament with regards to the elections of candidates for key state positions.
The director of BILI with a few comments on the topic for the BNR broadcast “Before all”: In a conversation with Silvia Velikova, Bilyana says: "Until now, the new Supreme Judicial Council has not made any statements or steps to imply that they can think in another direction (ed. regarding the case of judge Todorova).
The full video of the press conference held on April 26 is already available on youtube. Take a look:
On a press conference today BILI announced its report with conclusions from the inspections on the random case assignment in the Supreme Administrative Court, the Supreme Court of Cassation and Sofia City Court.
Regardless of the huge scandal at the SJC, a checkup of the random case assignment was carried out today at the Sofia City Court. Court President Ms Vladimira Yaneva considered that there were no obstacles for BILI to take part in the assigned checkup.
Ms Bilyana Gyaurova-Wegertseder is discussing the development of the Transparent Judicial Appointments Initiative. What are the progress and obstacles so far?
In the light of recent events more and more suggestions for judicial elections come out in the public. In this article, Mr. Hristo Ivanov of the BILI Foundation examines the judicial election practices of the United States and draws conclusions of their applicability in Bulgarian context.
Ms. Gyaurova-Wegertseder, Director of BILI, gave an interview for BulgariaOnAir, where she commented on the Civil Council with the Supreme Judicial Council, the expectations towards the “government” of the judiciary, and the judicial reforms in Bulgaria. Here follow abstracts of her interview.
Last Friday a second meeting of the Working group with the Supreme Judicial Council which shall draw up a medium-term human resources strategy was held. Magistrates, statisticians, sociologists participated in the meeting. Presentations on different case-weighting systems and models were made by acting magistrates and NGO representatives.
The first meeting of the Civic Council with the Supreme Judicial Council was held on January 14th. The Civic Council was presented by 15 of the 17 participating non-governmental organizations, including the Bulgarian Institute for Legal Initiatives.
An article, written by Hristo Ivanov, Program Director of the Bulgarian Institute for Legal Initiatives, about the last events at the Constitutional Court that shooked institutions and public: "...Mrs. Markovska found herself in a gap between the Supreme Administrative Court, the Supreme Judicial Council and the Constitutional Court. The destiny of the judicial seat she was rushing to, is now twisting in contradictory interpretations of how to return to the domain of the legal stability."
The unsuccessful attempt of the Parliamentary Committee on Legal Affairs to gloss over its failure to clarify the hovering doubts about the integrity of judge Veneta Markovska after she was elected as a member of the Constitutional Court, and the letter of the Chair of the Committee Mrs. Fidosova sent to the European Commission, confirmed two matters:
The “Human of the Year” Award is an initiative of the Bulgarian Helsinki Committee. The award for outstanding contribution to human rights was presented for the first time on 10 December 2008. The award is given out to an individual/group of individuals or an organisation by a professional jury on the basis of objective criteria.
Key role have the activities involved in the Transparent Judicial Appointment Initiative...
Yesterday, оn September 20th 2012, the Bulgarian institute for legal initiatives filed a Letter to the upcoming joint Assembly of the Supreme administrative and the Supreme court of cassation (SAC and SCC) for election of a judge at the Constitutional court of Bulgaria. BILI appeals for the adoption of clear rules that will guarantee competition, motivation and transparency...
In the eve of the first sessions of the new Supreme judicial council's members a round table was organized today in the American corner in Sofia on the subject of "Accountable and transparent judicial appointments and evaluation of the judiciary". It was initiated and conducted by BILI together with the Embassy of the USA and was scheduled as part of Mrs. Jane Howell's visit to Bulgaria. She is an executive director of the Colorado office of the Commission on judicial performance evaluation and an expert in the process of evaluation and appraisal of judges.
BILI was recognized as one of the four Golden key award nominees of the Access to Information programme in the category for Non-governmental organizations. The nomination was received for active work devoted to the enhancement of transparency in the judiciary. An outstanding contribution in this respect is the Initiative for maintaining of public profiles of magistrates striving for career advancement in the leadership positions in the judiciary.
It is unserious to provide only 20 minutes hearing time to the people to whom we will entrust the administration of the judiciary, stated Mr.Ivanov from the Bulgarian institute for legal initiatives and added that it is also unfair to the candidates themselves.
Powerless, excluded and vulnerable. This is what it means to be of Roma ethnic origin and to have no identification documents in Bulgaria. This is what it means to be of Roma ethnic origin and to have no identification documents in Bulgaria. On the one hand, without proper identification documents, individuals cannot enjoy the rights derived from citizenship, including political participation, legal employment, social security, and health and social assistance. On the other hand, the severe social and economic marginalization and lack of access to basic services the Roma face in Bulgaria hamper their access to identification documents.
On 19.07.2012 the Administrative court of Sofia took a decision on BILI’s case against the denial of the Inspectorate at the Supreme Judicial council to give access to public information on an inspection it had conducted. The request for information was addressed towards a signal on which the elect-inspector Dimana Yosifova gave opinion and the document was asked in the light of her nomination as a candidate to the Inspectorate.
The current debate on the distribution of bonuses aims to replace the focus from much more important issues, such as the inability of the Ministry of Justice to propose legislative amendments which may effectively reform the system, commented today Mrs. Bilyana Gyaurova, the Director of BILI.
In an interview today the director of BILI Mrs. Bilyana Gyaurova commented that the recently launched idea for amendments allowing the current and already “tamed” Supreme Judicial Council to elect the new Prosecutor General sounds like a joke both at the representatives of civil sector and the professional guild and at the recommendations of the European Commission (EC).
Our judiciary needs a clear, consistent and reasoned policy. Everything else is irresponsible and leading to doubts.
“Being Mr. Nobody” is a short documentary video, produced by BILI Foundation within the regional project “Partnership for Roma Protection and Prevention”.
Attorney Hristo Ivanov in an interview before Capital.bg is discussing the actual issues and events in the delicate sphere of judiciary and judicial reform.
In result of the information provided by BILI yesterday at a round table organised in Varna, it became clear that an unknown number of the poorest citizens who cannot provide a valid address registration are refused the issuance of IDs.
A Round table in Varna indicated the severity of the problems of Roma people deprived of their right to be issued personal IDs because they do not comply with the legal requirement to present an ownership act or rent agreement
As part of a monitoring project organized by the Bulgarian institute for Legal Initiatives, Mrs. Sheril Loesch-a clerk of court for the Middle District of Florida, was invited on a regular session of the SJC Committee on Professional qualification, IT and statistics (the IT Committee) to discuss the electronic systems used for random case assignment and the implementation of adequate and objective caseload criteria.
Dilyana Angelova, Staff Attorney in the “Roma Protection, Prevention and Promotion” project, shares her opinion on the importance of providing all people with formal legal recognition as a measure in the fight against discrimination, social exclusion and poverty.
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."