Ruling on Sofia Court Chair Legality Due Dec 27

A five-member panel of judges at the Supreme Administrative Court (VAS) will decide Tuesday on the legality of the appointment of Vladimira Yaneva as Sofia City Court Chair.

On November 03, a three-judge panel of VAS cancelled the procedure, but Yaneva appealed the decision.

The case was opened on a complaint filed by the other candidate for the post, Velichka Tsanova.

According to the motives listed by judges Yulia Kovacheva and Sonia Yankulova in the November 03 decision, the contested appointment procedure did not meet the statutory requirements.

The magistrates argued that the latest amendments to the Judiciary Act provided for an appointment of administrative court heads through an open vote and a majority of over half of the ballots cast by the Supreme Judicial Council (VSS).

The decision for Yaneva's appointment, however, had been taken in a secret vote.

The manner of voting had been reflected in the protocol which had been used as evidence, the November 03 decision reminded.

The judges stated that no violations had occurred except for the manner of voting.

The decision from November 03 was not signed by the third member of the judge panel, Ivan Radenkov, who self-recused.

The Vladimira Yaneva scandal broke at the end of May, when with four years of experience, two of them on maternity leave, she won the appointment at second round against Tsanova, a judge with extensive experience, Deputy Chair and temporarily in charge of the same court.

Yaneva, who has admitted to be close family friend of Interior Minister, Tsvetan Tsvetanov, stirred a storm of controversy with the admission and with allegedly committing conflict of interest.

The appointment sent shockwaves through the judicial system in Bulgaria, triggering several resignations with accusations the executive power is interfering and choking the Courts.

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