For the first time in many years, the court, which was referred to by a civic organization and a municipality, revokes a government act issued in breach of law. A five-member Supreme Administrative Court commission voted to uphold the decision from February 27, 2013 of the three-member commission of SAC, which even five months ago decreed that the Council of Ministers had awarded a concession for extraction of gold-silver ores at Dikanite in breach of Environmental Protection Act.
The Court established that during the concession procedure for extraction of ores, significant violation of administrative-production rules and material law had been made.
Moreover, a gross inconsistency between the text of Decision № 748, adopted at Council of Ministers session on October 07, 2011, and the later published text of this “decision” in State Gazette had been allowed. The Court qualified this as a significant violation of administrative-production rules. The categorical revocation by both Supreme Court commissions (three and five-member) saves from discrediting the work of Council of Ministers and the possible consequences with considerable damages for the State.
The Nomination Committee for proclaiming the lands of Gorna and Dolna Dikanya environmentally clean region hails the decision of the Court and appeals to other civic groups which face environmental injustice to withstand their rights to clean nature.