Bulgaria
| Author | Erik Estep |
| Pages | 248-252 |
Page 248
Official country name: Republic of Bulgaria
Capital: Sofia
Geographic description: Located in the Balkan Peninsula in southeastern Europe, bordering the Black Sea
Population: 7,450,349 (est. 2005)
Past events in Bulgaria provide a foundation for understanding the structure of the current law enforcement system. As a nation, Bulgaria can trace its roots back to 681, when the Cyrillic alphabet was introduced. Christianity is currently the primary religion; however, there is a sizable Turkish minority that is Islamic. Bulgaria has a population of over 7.4 million; 9.4% are Turks and 4.7% are Roma. Slightly less than three-quarters of Bulgaria's population is urban. Sofia is the capital and has a population of 1.2 million. Since the fall of the communist regime in 1989, Bulgaria has had a parliamentary republic. In April 2004 Bulgaria was admitted to NATO and is making progress toward joining the European Union.
As a modern political entity, Bulgaria first emerged in 1878, winning independence after almost 500 years of Ottoman rule. Thus, Bulgaria began its own criminal justice system only with the Penal Act of 1896, which was influenced by the Hungarian and Russian ones. Despite being physically located on Europe's periphery, Bulgaria was well within the mainstream of the European criminal justice system. During the interwar period law enforcement activity was directed toward rooting out corruption and cracking down on political dissent. By 1934 Bulgaria was no longer a parliamentary democracy. Legislation was passed that made people liable for acts committed retro-actively. However, the collapse of the pro-Axis monarchy in 1944 and the establishment of a pro-Soviet regime in 1946 caused some changes in Bulgaria's legal code.
The adoption of the Bulgaria's first Communist-era Penal Code in 1956 reflected the influence of the Soviet Union. Corrective labor without imprisonment and the political notion of social danger replaced unlawfulness as a prime criminal characteristic. Also, punishment of crimes against the state and public property were strengthened. Bulgaria, however, diverged from the Soviet model. For instance, the main Western concepts of criminal legislation concerning crime, guilt, criminal liability, and statues of limitations were retained.
In the post-Communist era Bulgaria's criminal justice system began to reflect the classical Western model. Bulgaria's 1991 constitution enshrines a separation of
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powers among the legislative, executive, and judicial branches. The judiciary is composed of the court, the prosecutor's office, and the investigative bodies, which are all independent of one another. Criminal proceedings, with only a few exceptions, are open to the public. The age of legal responsibility is fourteen; however, there is a special category for juvenile offenders between the ages of fourteen and eighteen. Prosecutors and court officiates have more discretion in juvenile proceedings; thus, juveniles do not typically receive prison sentences that are as long as those that adult offenders receive. Furthermore, Bulgaria's criminal justice system has evolved to include protection of private property by police forces.
The police forces of Bulgaria are organized through the Ministry of the Interior. There are five major police branches:
National Security Service
National Police Service
National Service for Combating Organized Crime
National Border Police Service
National Gendarmerie Service
The National Security Service has more of a counter-intelligence than a police function. Some of its goals are to crack down on terrorism, illegal drugs, and arms trafficking. The National Police Service has a wide range of responsibilities. Besides maintaining public order and investigating crimes, it is also in charge of traffic, passport regulation, and the issuing of identification cards. The National Service for Combating Organized Crime is, as the title suggests, aimed at eliminating Mafia organizations. In particular, this service focuses on eliminating drug trafficking and counterfeiting. It also maintains a presence on Bulgaria's borders. The National Border Service has the responsibility of maintaining Bulgaria's territorial sovereignty. Not only does it protect Bulgaria's land borders but it also defends the skies and waterways. The National Gendarmerie Service has a strategic role of...
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