Court of cassation

A decree issued by the French government that reformed the general inspection of judicial services practically putting it under the direct control of the government caused a fresh debate between the judiciary and the government as the former accused the latter of breaking the principle of the separation of powers. 

A former Supreme Council of Judges and Prosecutors (HSYK) deputy head who was recently released from custody has accused the Gülenists and the government of bargaining over the division of the Turkish judiciary bodies and that they agreed on the number of Gülenist personnel to be appointed to the two institutions. 

The Prosecutor's Office has protested the acquittal of former Deputy Chairman of the 42nd Parliament and of DPS Hristo Biserov, ruled by the Sofia Appellate Court in the beginning of July.

The Appellate Court has to send the documentation to the Supreme Cassation Court together with the prosecutor's office protest so that the chief magistrates can rule on the case.

Members of the Supreme Judicial Council (VSS) of Bulgaria have approved their own division into two colleges, one for judges and one for prosecutors.

No disputes have accompanied the debate before the vote. A full majority backed the move, according to the Bulgarian News Agency.

Lawmakers have approved on a second reading legislative amendments that the government argues are paving the way for a major reform in the judicial system.

MPs have agreed to split the Supreme Judicial Council (VSS) into two colleges, one for judges and the other for prosecutors.

Women in Turkey will not have to take their husbands' surnames after getting married, according to a new ruling by the Supreme Court of Appeals.

The ruling by the court's General Assembly of Civil Chambers confirmed a Sept. 30, 2015 decision that allowed Turkish women to apply to a family court to keep their maiden name after marriage.

According to a draft of the Cooperation and Verification Mechanism (CVM) report, the document will be most criticial towards the Supreme Judicial Council (VSS) and the prosecutor's office.

Initial reports suggested that the European Commission will be mostly positive in its assessment of Bulgarian reforms in justice and internal affairs.

The district court in Bulgaria's second-biggest city Plovdiv is to launch the case against Ivan Evstatiev, the mayor of the town of Strelcha who is facing rape charges.

The case was assigned to Plovdiv by Bulgaria's last-instance judicial institution, the Supreme Court of Cassation (VKS), after 15 judges in a row withdrew from the Pazardzhik District Court.

Turkey's Constitutional Court has canceled a court ruling which sentenced a man on charges for being a member of the outlawed Turkish Communist Workers Party (TK?P), on the grounds that the suspect's testimony had been taken under torture and could not be used as evidence by the court.

Judges from several city courts and the Supreme Court of Cassation (VKS) demonstrated in front of Sofia Court House on Friday evening to show their anger at last-minute amendments to judicial reform proposals passed by Parliament earlier this week.