site.bta Government Adopts Amendments to Criminal Procedure Code and Judicial System Act

On its regular meeting, the government approved amendments to the Criminal Procedure Code and the Judicial System Act as part of a set of measures to expedite judicial proceedings related to road traffic accidents, Minister of Justice Georgi Georgiev said at a news briefing on Tuesday. “This is a commitment we made several months ago to the families and relatives of those who lost their lives in road accidents,” the minister explained.

The main reason for delays in such cases is the shortage of expert witnesses and their heavy workload. To address this, the government proposes to expand the circumstances under which courts can allow expert witnesses in accident cases to testify via video or telephone conference, Georgiev said. Preparing detailed expert reports for complex cases is time consuming, but they contain key analyses that are critical to the court’s decision. Furthermore, if a hearing is postponed multiple times, it can lead to delays of two to three years, the minister noted.

The proposed changes to the Judicial System Act to be approved by Parliament also include the introduction of an examination for automotive technical expert witnesses, who are essential for accident investigations. Additionally, the state will fund annual training for expert witnesses through the National Institute of Justice, so they can improve their qualifications, Georgiev added.

Government also plans to increase Bulgarian citizenship fees, which haven’t been updated for nearly 18 years. Currently, the average fee of 30 BGN (approx. EUR 15), 47 times lower than in some EU countries, is to be increased to 300 BGN, while the fee for renunciation of citizenship will rise from 50 BGN to 250 BGN. Around 23,000 applications for Bulgarian citizenship are submitted annually by various categories of individuals, Minister Georgiev noted.

The cabinet had approved amendments to the Legal Aid Ordinance, effectively ending the ongoing lawyers’ strike. Citizens living below the poverty line of 638 BGN per month are now entitled to receive free legal assistance through the Legal Aid Bureau under the Ministry of Justice. Over the past year, the bureau has provided around 38,000 consultations and services.

An agreement with bar associations has been reached to increase funding for legal aid by nearly 50%, from BGN 10 million to BGN 15 million annually to reflect the accumulated inflation in services over recent years.

Georgiev pointed out that the reform of the legal aid system will include tightening financial controls, mandatory qualification upgrades for lawyers providing such aid, reducing administrative burdens, and digitalizing procedures.