The judiciary's budget passed at first reading at the Legal Affairs Committee

The budget of the judiciary for 2025 passed at first reading in the Committee on Constitutional and Legal Affairs. The deputies supported the proposal, which was presented and argued by the Minister of Justice Georgi Georgiev.

The Supreme Judicial Council has already objected to the planned reduction of the funds for current maintenance and against the planned growth of court fees. During the committee meeting, the Chief Judicial Inspector Theodora Tochkova also disagreed with the parameters set by the government and supported the SJC request, but no representatives came from the Council to argue their estimates.

The Supreme Judicial Council (SJC) has prepared its draft budget of the judiciary, with just over BGN 1.6 billion for expenses. The Council of Ministers provides for nearly BGN 280 million less – over BGN 1.3 billion.

The two budget projects differ in the revenue part – the government has planned BGN 52 million more revenue than the SJC planned, and by this indicator the deadline between the SJC requested by the SJC and the proposed by the executive power is BGN 330 million.

Traditionally, the SJC objects to the estimated budget offered by the government and insists on more money, but also traditionally the National Assembly usually votes for the judiciary budget proposed by the cabinet.

This year, the SJC has objections to the cabinet planned by the cabinet of BGN 137 million. Almost every year the SJC itself bets BGN 84 million in revenue from fees. To the MPs of the Committee on Constitutional and Legal Affairs, the Minister of Justice Georgi Georgiev presented the main figures that the government proposes to budget for both the revenue and the expense.

« The proposals made by the SJC are made on the basis of forecasts. There is no way to have rhythm and absolutely predict what the revenue will be, but the corresponding adjustments can be made. A forecast for how much and how Bulgarian citizens will be sued We cannot give material interest, « explained Justice Minister Georgiev.

« Too optimistic in the revenue part and too pessimistic in the expenditure » – in these words he summarized the opinions heard about the budget for the judiciary for 2025, provided by the cabinet. « The budget is not because there is a lot of money and we wonder what Let's do them, but because there is insufficient funding. However, to do this, we need to take an account of the revenue part, « Georgiev said, adding that the enthusiasm of each institution to request an increase in its budget, but the difference is nearly BGN 280 million.

The Chief Judicial Inspector Theodora Tochkova explained that if the draft government budget is adopted, it will guarantee funds mainly for the costs of staff and the occupied number of inspectors and administration, as well as the mandatory insurance contributions and will guarantee the costs for current maintenance. They are reduced by 20% of the read.

« The Inspectorate Project will not guarantee funds for the SJC Plenum Indexation of Work, nor the expected increase in the cost of electricity, water, fuels, raw materials and services, given the expected increase in prices of the main electricians, » argued the SJC's request for more Money tochkova.

As another argument, she pointed out that the government's budget « would make it difficult to perform anti -corruption training and trainings for the integrity of magistrates provided for in the JSA ».