Supreme court

Bulgaria's top judicial body has rejected the resignation of Petyo Petyov, who heads the Sofia Investigative Service.

The motion was tabled on Thursday morning by Chief Prosecutor Sotir Tsatsarov, but was turned down by an overwhelming majority at the Supreme Judicial Council (VSS): 12-4, 2 abstained.

Petyo Petrov, outgoing head of the Sofia Investigative Service, has asked permission to leave the judicial system.

Zaganjori told reporters that during 2014, the Supreme Court had managed to hear all the cases registered between 2007 and 2011.

"The civil-administrative panel is now reviewing cases registered in 2012 and the criminal panel, those registered in 2013," he explained.

Bulgaria's Supreme Judicial Council (VSS) is to determine on Thursday next week who will take over as interim head of the Sofia City Court, Yasen Todorov, from the Ethics Committee at the VSS, has said.

Todorov's interview with public broadcaster BNT followed a VSS step to remove the court's chairperson Vladimira Yaneva from office.

Montenegro's parliament on Wednesday began a debate on a set of important judicial laws aimed at defining the work of the Constitutional Court, the lower courts, the Judicial Council and redefining the tasks of judges.  

In its 13th year in power, Turkey?s Justice and Development Party (AK Parti) government is finally seeing the judges it likes in the top judicial positions.

In the Feb. 10 elections held among their members, both the Constitutional Court and the Supreme Court of Appeals elected judges who are unofficially favored by the ruling party.

The balance of power at Turkey's Supreme Court of Appeals is like a chess game played on a shifting platform. Five candidates are running for office in the elections scheduled to be held today, but understanding the situation in the chamber is impossible without taking a closer look at the back story.

What was the balance of power in the Supreme Court of Appeals before 2010?

The Sofia Appellate Court has upheld the 4-year prison term of former Bulgarian Interior Minister Tsvetan Tsvetanov over the blocked wiretapping motions.

Bulgaria's Supreme Judicial Council on Thursday elected Lozan Panov as chairman of the Supreme Court of Cassation.

Panov was elected in a 17-6 vote with no abstentions in the Supreme Judicial Council known by its Bulgarian acronym VSS.

The justice system needs a comprehensive reform, Panov said after being elected for a seven-year term.

Both President Recep Tayyip Erdo?an and the head of Turkey?s Constitutional Court have denied there is any tension between them, after joining a luncheon hosted by the former at the presidential palace in Ankara.