site.btaSupreme Bar Council Conference Focuses on Lawyers' Public Role

The public role of lawyers and bar associations in upholding the rule of law was discussed at a conference on Saturday. The Autumn National Conference of the Bulgarian Bar opened with an offsite meeting of the Supreme Bar Council and a session between its chief secretary and the secretaries of bar associations from across the country.

The right to legal defense in Bulgaria is an essential requirement for a fair trial, Supreme Bar Council Chair Ivaylo Dermendzhiev told BTA.

Dermendzhiev noted that the legal profession has faced significant pressure in recent years for several reasons. He explained that lawyers operate independently and without direct supervision. Because lawyers are accountable only to themselves, authorities sometimes disapprove of this autonomy.

Gabrovo Regional Governor Maria Basheva-Venkova noted that legal professionals in the Gabrovo region are well positioned to determine effective strategies for the future development of the legal profession.

She considers the forum’s theme, “The public role of lawyers and bar associations in upholding the rule of law,” to be significant, since society relies on justice and security.

Chair of Gabrovo Administrative Court Galin Kosev noted that the judicial system cannot achieve balance without the participation of lawyers.

According to Kosev, the judicial system cannot function properly without lawyers. This is the role lawyers have taken on, and it is a weighty one. He said the fight for justice and balance is a daily challenge for lawyers.

For me, a lawyer is not just a defender of the individual, but a defender of justice itself, said Deputy Mayor of Tryavna Zhasmina Lazarova. According to Lazarova, the forum addresses serious topics. She expressed hope that many new ideas would emerge from the Tryavna conference.

Gabrovo Mayor Tanya Hristova thanked the lawyers for choosing a courageous profession and for their commitment to seeking and finding the very best. In Hristova’s words, lawyers know not only how to argue, but how to defend as well. Lawyers work to achieve a balance that is important for society, she said.

Dryanovo Mayor Trifon Panchev noted the substantial importance of what lawyers do, saying they should not stop fighting against injustice. According to Panchev, lawyers must continue to ensure the law is applied as it should be, not as dictated by politicians or certain State bodies.

According to Gabrovo Bar Association Chair Evgeni Popov, the legal profession stands to defend the principles of legality and justice when they are threatened or violated. Popov said that the profession is free, independent, and self-governing, which gives lawyers the confidence not only to shape their own fates. He believes lawyers help solve problems for everyone in one way or another.

The first panel of the discussion was moderated by lawyer Zlatimir Zhechev, Deputy Chair of the Supreme Bar Council, and the second by lawyer Valya Gigova, also Deputy Chair of the Supreme Bar Council.

The conference was held under the slogan, “The public role of lawyers and bar associations in upholding the rule of law.”

The programme began on Friday, October 17, with an offsite meeting of the Supreme Bar Council and a session between its chief secretary and the secretaries of bar associations from across the country.