Judicial system reform: Minister Naydenov calls for clearer rules for disciplinary liability

Need for changes to the Judiciary Act

Minister of Justice Nikolay Naydenov emphasized the need to refine the disciplinary liability of magistrates. During a specialized forum organized by the Supreme Judicial Council, he noted that the current framework creates numerous legal and institutional difficulties.

Disciplinary proceedings should not become a means of pressure on magistrates – Galina Zaharova, President of the Supreme Court of Cassation.

Main problems in the application of sanctions:

• Insufficient evidentiary support for the alleged violations.
• Legal ambiguities regarding the powers of bodies with expired mandates.
• Difficulties in interpreting the composition of "damaging the prestige of the judiciary".
• Lack of clear criteria for the proportionality of imposed disciplinary penalties.

According to the Ministry of Justice, future reforms must ensure greater transparency, efficiency, and proportionality between committed violations and subsequent sanctions.