Peer tribunals in Bulgaria

Abstract

The first tribunals in Bulgaria began to be set up in the 1960s. The organisations of the Fatherland Front played a major role in the establishment, formation and development of peer tribunals. The legal regulations governing peer tribunals in Bulgaria were ultimately influenced by the practices of Soviet institutions of this type. In this paper, the author outlines the origins, development and legal status of peer tribunals, as well as their organisation and method of establishment. In addition, he outlines the scope of competence in Bulgaria, which is relatively broad and covers various types of cases. The 12 categories of cases specified in the law governing the activities of peer tribunals include cases involving both infringements not constituting a misdemeanour or an offence, as well as minor administrative offences and certain misdemeanours prosecuted both ex officio and by private prosecution, and civil-law cases. The Bulgarian legislator has made peer tribunals a universal and compulsory institution, while at the same time opting for a very detailed statutory regulation on the scope of jurisdiction, procedure and enforceability of decisions of peer tribunals.