News
The Association of Women Judges in Bulgaria has been established.
04 July 2026
The inaugural meeting of the Association of Women Judges took place on July 4, 2026, in Varna. The non-profit association operating for the public benefit has already been entered into the Register of Associations at the Registry Agency. The founding members are judges from regional, district, appellate, and administrative courts in Varna, Sofia, Veliko Tarnovo, Shumen, Dobrich, Dimitrovgrad, and Svoge.
The Association’s objectives include upholding independence, professionalism, and high ethical standards; championing integrity; and protecting the rights of judges. Members will work to boost public confidence in the justice system, address profession-related challenges, and provide support during crises. They will also strive to improve understanding of fundamental human rights and the courts' role in protecting them, while promoting equal access to justice, high-quality adjudication, and fairness. The Association intends to define which modern technologies and artificial intelligence tools are appropriate for use in the judicial process and plans to develop such tools.
These goals will be pursued through seminars, training sessions, conferences, and debates, as well as participation in national, European, and international projects. The Association of Women Judges in Bulgaria will collaborate with state institutions, judicial bodies, and non-governmental organizations to foster a culture that respects judicial independence, enhances public legal literacy, and works toward the prevention of crime and substance abuse. Partnerships will be sought with professional organizations sharing similar objectives, law schools, experts in various fields, and the media.
Membership is open to all, without regard to gender, race, ethnicity, religion, or other affiliations. Any sitting Bulgarian judge who shares the community's values and wishes to contribute to its goals is eligible to join. Plans are underway to draft an operational program and strategy, as well as to develop a bilingual e-platform.
The initiative to establish this professional organization came from Angelina Lazarova, a judge at the Varna Appellate Court, who possesses extensive international experience and has participated in events organized by the International Association of Women Judges.
Kalina Stancheva, a judge at the Sofia District Court, was elected chairperson of the Bulgarian organization. Her professional interests lie in the fields of judicial ethics and international judicial cooperation. She is actively involved in initiatives related to the training of magistrates and the international exchange of experience, and serves as a lecturer for the National Institute of Justice and the European Judicial Training Network. Last year, at the international association's conference, Judge Stancheva presented a topic regarding cyber-violence and the safety of women judges in the digital environment.
Guests at the inaugural meeting included the Regional Governor of Varna, Mario Smarkov, and the President of the Varna Appellate Court, Marin Marinov, while representatives of the international association joined the event online.