Supreme Judicial Council

Around a hundred people took to the streets of central Sofia to demonstrate over Parliament's decision to approve an amended version of judicial reform proposals submitted by former Justice Minister Hristo Ivanov.

Bulgaria's Prime Minister Boyko Borisov expects junior coalition partners the Reformist Bloc to nominate a new Justice Minister following the resignation of Hristo Ivanov,  Deputy Prime Minister Rumyana Bachvarova has said.

Bulgaria's Justice Minister Hristo Ivanov has resigned shortly after parliament approved an amendment to the Constitution concerning reform of the judiciary on Wednesday./p>

"I can say with great relief that I shall no longer exercise the powers of Justice Minister," Ivanov told parliament, according to BGNES./p>

The Bulgarian parliament approved at second reading on Wednesday the division of the Supreme Judicial Council (VSS) in two colleges - one made of judges and another composed of prosecutors.

According to the adopted amendment, judges and prosecutors will be appointed, promoted, lowered, transferred and discharged by their respective college.

The Bulgarian parliament will discuss the amendments to the constitution concerning the reform of the judiciary at a second reading on Wednesday.

In order for the amendments to be adopted, ¾ of MPs or 180 lawmakers have to vote in favour.

At the first reading, which took place on September 23, 184 MPs voted in favour of the amendments.

The Supreme Judicial Council (VSS) of Bulgaria has decided to dismiss Rumyana Chenalova, a Bulgarian judge with three counts of disciplinary action and charges of malfeasance and document abuse.

Rumyana Chenalova, a controversial judge charged with malfeasance and document fraud, is to be handed a second indictment on Wednesday, Bulgarian media outlets report.

Chenalova has been summoned to the Bulgarian security agency DANS, according to the Bulgarian National Radio which cites its own sources.

Two protests will take place in front of the parliament building, as Bulgarian MPs are to debate the judicial reform on Friday.

Citizens participating in the so-called "coffee drinking" protest demand a judicial reform without compromises and are opposed to the joint project, which was agreed by most of the parliamentary represented parties on Thursday.

Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Borisov pointed to the importance of the consensus on the judicial reform, which was reached by most of the parliamentary represented parties on Thursday.

According to Borisov, this consensus will lead to Bulgaria's accession to the Schengen Area in October and the attraction of many investments to the country.

Political parties in Bulgaria's parliament have agreed to submit a joint project for changing the constitution to move forward with reform of the judiciary.