The Profession of Judge

We can speak of the past, the present, and the future. Judges have existed, do exist, and will continue to exist. States structure their judicial systems and select or appoint their judges based on national traditions, the political form of government, and criteria assessing a combination of profound legal knowledge, high moral standards, non-legal attributes, and many other factors. A universal principle for all judges worldwide is that they must be independent and impartial.

The Judicial Profession Worldwide

As part of the International Association of Women Judges (IAWJ), the Bulgarian association maintains connections with many judges worldwide and continues to establish new ones. Through our meetings and interactions, we realize that—regardless of country, the style of judicial robes, or actual judicial budgets—we share common ground: a similar attitude toward justice, comparable career challenges, and shared ideas on how to contribute to society. We are building a transnational community that seeks global standards for high-quality justice. We believe in and stand by our fellow judges around the world, even without knowing them personally. One example: the most wonderful and moving greeting we received on social media upon the founding of the Bulgarian Association of Women Judges came from the President of the Court of Appeal in Cairo.

In this section, we will introduce you to our colleagues—active judges from around the world. We will discuss the diverse paths a legal professional takes to reach the bench. We will also show you the court buildings of the European Court of Human Rights and the Court of Justice of the European Union, as well as the courts in Leipzig, Germany, Marrakech, Morocco, Tartu, Estonia and many other cities.

We will strive to adopt best practices and showcase our achievements as judges internationally, as we have much to be proud of. We will keep you informed about the preparations for and the holding of the IAWJ conference, scheduled for May 2027 in Quebec, Canada.

We will share with you the findings of international studies, reports, and analyses concerning issues relevant to the profession and the administration of justice.

The Judicial Profession in Bulgaria

The Association of Women Judges in Bulgaria will develop and present educational materials on the subject to help the public gain insight into the work of the courts. At the same time, it will seek collaboration with other professional organizations and specialists in sociology, philosophy, and psychology to establish a mechanism for upholding the judicial training standards set out in the National Institute of Justice (NIJ) program. We will also focus on developing judges' non-legal skills. We will advocate for convening a new National Conference of Judges—a format that has fallen into disuse, having been employed only twice decades ago—which offers an opportunity to identify the real challenges and priorities facing judges, build a strong professional community, and bolster the institution's overall authority.