Legal Council

The President of the Republic of Bulgaria’s Legal Council is a consultative body to assist the President in forming opinions and positions and decision-making in relation to the performance of the President’s constitutional functions and powers. The Council assists the Vice President in the exercise of the Vice President’s powers conferred under Art. 104 of the Constitution of the Republic of Bulgaria.

The Rules of Organization and Procedure of the Council are approved by the President to guide the work of the council on the basis of the principles of law, openness, transparency and fairness.

The Legal Council is not a permanent body, but is convened at the request of the President, Vice President, Chief Secretary to the President, at the proposal of the Secretary of Legal Affairs, an adviser for legal affairs of Director of the Legal Affairs Directorate. The Legal Council expresses its opinion on the conformity of laws with the Constitution, international treaties, as well as offering the President reasons to accept them or to refer them back the National Assembly. It carries out legal analysis of international treaties concluded, their compliance with the Constitution and gives an opinion on whether they should be referred to the Constitutional Court before their ratification for an opinion on their compliance with the Constitution. The Legal Council prepares and motivates proposals for the referral to the Constitutional Court with a request for a binding interpretation of the Constitution and the preparation of a draft opinion on constitutional matters when the President is designated as an interested party. The composition of the Legislative Council was established by decree of the President of the Republic. The Council’s members include Prof. Dr. Blagoy Vidin, Prof. Dr. Darina Zinovieva, Prof. Dr Ekaterina Mateeva, Dr. Margarita Zlatareva, Prof. Dr Margarita Chinova, Prof. Dr Mariana Karagiozova - Finkova, Prof Dr Neli Ognyanova, Dr. Nina Milkova Gevrenova. The Chief Secretary and Secretary for Legal Affairs of the President are ex officio members of the Council.