site.btaProsecutor General Asks for Quick Expert Reports for All Court Cases

Prosecutor General Borislav Sarafov urged for fast and professional preparation of expert reports in all court cases and not only in cases of road accidents, as well as increased control over the experts. He addressed a press conference on Thursday after a working meeting with the Minister of Justice and the chair of the parliamentary committee on constitutional and legal affairs and relatives of road victims, on the problem of the shortage of qualified experts for road offences. In Sarafov's words, some expertise is delayed not just by months or a year, but by several years. Most cases cannot even start for several years. In his opinion, the time taken to produce expert reports in serious accident cases should definitely be changed. 

Slow justice is essentially bad justice, it is almost a denial of justice, the Prosecutor General said. 

The reason for the meeting was an analysis by the prosecution service which showed that the critical lack of experts and the slow expert reports are the main reasons for the delay in cases. The analysis includes a review of road traffic fatality cases and all pending and unresolved pre-trial proceedings initiated more than two years ago. He said prosecutors were not to blame for the delay.

In Sarafov's words, some expertise is delayed not just by months or a year, but by several years. In his opinion, the time taken to produce expert reports in serious accident cases should definitely be changed. 

Slow justice is essentially bad justice, it is almost a denial of justice, the acting attorney general said. 

If we want general prevention, drivers who have used alcohol and/or drugs should receive swift punishments, Sarafov said. He also noted the need for legislative changes in relation to experts and forensic experts.