Bulgaria has the largest spending on public order and security compared with a number of countries in Europe, shows a survey on justice expenses and efficiency for the period between 1998 and 2008. The information was presented at a discussion on "Appraisal of the implementation of the judicial reform strategy." The presentation was attended by Justice Minister Miglena Tacheva.

According to the survey, Bulgaria spends nearly 3 per cent of its gross domestic product on public order and security. The country is followed by the United Kingdom, Estonia and the Czech Republic, and Denmark spends the least money for this purpose - 1.5 per cent of the gross domestic product.

Bulgaria's judiciary budget increased from 57,600,000 leva in 1998 to 413,241,000 leva in 2008. The budget of the Interior Ministry increased from 256,682,000 leva to 998,000,000 leva.

Despite the large funding which Bulgaria spends on internal order and security, the confidence in the judicial system is the lowest in Bulgaria among EU countries: 76 per cent of respondents are disinclined to have confidence in the Bulgarian judicial system, and only 13 per cent give a positive answer.

The highest confidence in the judicial system is registered in Denmark, where 83 per cent of respondents are inclined to have confidence in the judicial system.

Confidence in the police is, again, the lowest in Bulgaria, where 65 per cent of respondents are disinclined to have confidence in the law enforcement authority. Only 25 per cent would have confidence in the police. Confidence in the police is the highest in Finland, at 91 per cent.

Over 80 per cent of the planned measures in the updated strategy for reform in the Bulgarian judicial system are defined as "fulfilled", or "rather fulfilled", in a survey presented on Tuesday.

The main achievements of the reform are improvement of the working conditions in the judiciary, increase of wages and restoration of the attractiveness of the profession.

So far, the reform has not served to solve the main problems which the public has with the judicial authority, the survey shows. Although the fight against corruption is a declared goal of the reform, the more the implementation of the strategy advances, the more often the problem of high-level corruption and organized crime occupies a place in external assessments and internal comments on the effectiveness of justice.

Talking at a discussion on the judiciary system, Justice Minister Miglena Tacheva said that there had been a real change in the assessment of the implementation of judiciary reforms.

In her words, any funds may be absorbed very quickly while public opinion could not change at the same pace.

"One cannot punish or fire people just because suspecting corruption," Supreme Administrative Court President Konstantin Penchev observed.

Source: BTA,Photo: BGNES