Bulgaria amends key law to improve judiciary

Sofia, Feb 2: Bulgaria's parliament approved constitutional changes today aimed at shoring up its slow and graft-prone judiciary and avoiding sanctions from the European Union it joined last month.

In a third and final vote, 192 of 240 deputies backed amendments to end full immunity held by judges, prosecutors and investigators, and establish an inspectorate elected by parliament to monitor the judiciary.

The EU Commission has warned Sofia to shore up its courts and put criminals and corrupt officials behind bars or see its judicial system quarantined from the rest of the bloc.

''The fourth amendment of the constitution addresses Bulgaria's key challenge to ensure its smooth functioning in the European Union,'' said Ljutvi Mestan, a senior member of the junior ruling ethnic Turkish party, told the chamber.

The changes are expected to boost the accountability and effectiveness of the Balkan state's magistrates who analysts have blamed for the climate of impunity for organised crime bosses and corrupt politicians.

This is Bulgaria's second attempt to allay Brussels' concerns it was ready to impose strict rule of law. The parliament approved in March changes that gave the justice minister oversight over individual cases which Brussels criticised as too ambiguous about magistrates' independence.

The new changes now scrap that part. They also give more power to the municipalities to set local taxes and abolish military conscription.

REUTERS