Summary of the criminal process
The Bulgarian criminal process has two stages – pre-trial and trial.
- The pre-trial proceedings aim to collect, through investigation, evidence to either confirm or deny an assumption that a certain person has committed a certain crime. The investigation is carried out by investigating magistrates, or investigating policemen, under the guidance of a prosecutor. The objective is to prepare and assist the prosecutor in deciding whether to file and justify charges in court against the accused person or to terminate the proceedings.
- The trial begins with the prosecutor filing charges in court against a person for a crime committed by that person. Court proceedings involve opposing parties and the prosecutor, defendant and defence lawyer have equal procedural rights. The court examines the evidence produced by the prosecutor but may, at the request of the parties, or on the court’s own initiative, collect and examine new evidence in the search for truth.
The trial ends with a court judgement, which either convicts and imposes a penalty on the defendant, or declares the defendant not guilty.
Details about all of these stages in the process, and about your rights, can be found in the factsheets. This information is not a substitute for legal advice and is intended to be for your guidance only.
Role of the European Commission
Please note that the European Commission has no role in criminal proceedings in Member States and cannot assist you if you have a complaint. Information is provided in these factsheets about how to complain and to whom.
Click on the links below to find the information that you need
2 – My rights during the investigation of a crime
- Investigation (incl. bringing charges and questioning)
- Arrest (including European Arrest Warrant)
- First court hearing
- Detention or release
- Preparation for trial by the prosecution
- Preparation for trial by the defence
- Measures to prevent evasion of prosecution
- Ban on leaving Bulgaria
3 – My rights during the trial
- Interviewing a protected witness
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Related links
The national language version of this page is maintained by the respective Member State. The translations have been done by the European Commission service. Possible changes introduced in the original by the competent national authority may not be yet reflected in the translations. The European Commission accepts no responsibility or liability whatsoever with regard to any information or data contained or referred to in this document. Please refer to the legal notice to see copyright rules for the Member State responsible for this page.