In brief
In Sofia, two Supreme Judicial Council candidates presented differing priorities for the next council. Maria Terziyska emphasized overhauling secondary legislation to clarify staff status, administration, and judges’ ethical conduct, while Krasimira Doneva called for transparent personnel decisions, measurable competition criteria, and stronger accountability to rebuild public trust.
In Sofia on 31 October 2026, the General Assembly of Judges elected new members for the Supreme Judicial Council, with candidates Maria Terziyska and Krasimira Doneva calling for reforms to strengthen the body.
Terziyska, a judge and Deputy Chair of the Varna Regional Court, said the council’s secondary legislation—rules that govern court staff status and administration—must be updated to improve effectiveness and restore public trust. She noted that changing the ethical rules governing magistrates’ conduct is essential amid growing public concern over the integrity of judges and prosecutors.
“As a judge, I always strive to apply the law correctly and fairly and to observe the principles of ethical conduct for magistrates. I maintain that professional integrity is an essential and necessary part of quality justice,” Terziyska said.
Doneva, a judge at the Burgas District Court, prioritized restoring public confidence through transparent personnel decisions, measurable competition criteria, and genuine accountability for magistrates. She urged that the quality of judicial decisions and actual work results carry greater weight in career advancement, and called for clear, weighted criteria in competition panels and mandatory consideration of workload.
She also proposed abolishing external competitions for initial appointments to regional courts, reserving vacancies for promotions of proven magistrates, and creating a mechanism to recall an administrative head at the initiative of the general assembly.
