A new Supreme Judicial Council (SJC) should be elected by mid-November, with representatives from both the professional and parliamentary quotas expected to join its ranks. This forecast was made by Minister of Justice Nikolay Naydenov on the Bulgarian National Television.
Naydenov clarified that this timeline is conditional, as the selection procedure for the professional quota is subject to appeal. "I say this with a certain degree of conditionality because the election of the professional quota is subject to appeal, and it is quite possible that one may be filed. If that happens, the election will be delayed slightly. This is beyond our authority; it is a hypothetical scenario," the Justice Minister added.
In the event that the Supreme Judicial Council is successfully constituted by mid-November, the next important step—the election of a new Prosecutor General—is expected to take place in early spring of 2027. According to the Minister, the Prosecutor General will be elected by the new SJC. He emphasized that efforts are being made to improve the selection procedures for the Prosecutor General and the presidents of the supreme courts, with the aim of making the process more transparent, allowing for the discussion of all issues, and ensuring greater participation from civil society and media representatives.
Naydenov noted that for the first time in history, there is such a large number of candidates for the SJC from the professional community. At the same time, the non-governmental sector has submitted 25 proposals to the National Assembly, a significant number of which have already been endorsed by members of parliament. Regarding the political consultations for the election of council members, the minister clarified that there are no talks on support being held with GERB, and that dialogue is being maintained with "We Continue the Change" and "Democratic Bulgaria."