Professors from five European countries will serve as guest speakers at the open professional discussion marking the 35th anniversary of the Court
On May 20, the Constitutional Court of the Republic of Bulgaria and the Faculty of Law at Sofia University “St. Kliment Ohridski” will co-organise an international academic conference in the university’s aula. The forum is part of a series of special events with which the Court is marking the 35th anniversary of its establishment.
The conference will be opened by the President of the Constitutional Court, Pavlina Panova, and Prof. Еvelina Stoeva-Dimitrova, Vice-Dean of the Faculty of Law.
The event organizers are initiating the first open professional discussion of its kind, in which jurists from Bulgaria and abroad will examine the practices of constitutional jurisdictions across Europe.
Constitutional Court judges and professors at Sofia University — Prof. Atanas Semov, Prof. Yanaki Stoilov together with Dr. Orlin Kolev, Chief Assistant at Sofia University, as well as Associate Professor Hristo Hristev and guest lecturers from universities in France, Belgium, Italy, Hungary, and Poland, will address current legal issues relating to constitutional adjudication.
The conference will consist of three thematic panels: “Legitimacy of Constitutional Jurisdiction: Thirty-Five Years On,” “Legal Effect and Enforcement of Constitutional Court Decisions,” and “Application of EU Law by Constitutional Courts and Their Relationship with the Court of Justice of the European Union.”
The discussions will address key questions confronting constitutional adjudication in Europe. Thirty-five years after the establishment of constitutional justice in Bulgaria, particular attention will be paid to mechanisms for strengthening and safeguarding institutional legitimacy.
Additional topics for discussion will include the enforcement of constitutional court decisions and the bodies responsible for ensuring such enforcement, as well as the manner in which constitutional courts apply European Union law and interact with the Court of Justice of the European Union.
The event will begin at 9:30 a.m. in the aula of Sofia University and is open to faculty, students, and professionals interested in
the topics presented, as well as to the media.
PROGRAM
International Conference on the Occasion of the 35th Anniversary of the Establishment of the Constitutional Court of the Republic of Bulgaria
09:00 - 09:30 Arrival of the guests
9:30 - 10:00 Opening of the Conference
Opening speeches:
- Prof. Evelina Stoeva-Dimitrova, Vice Dean of the Faculty of Law of Sofia University “St. Kliment Ohridski”
- Pavlina Panova, President of the Constitutional Court of the Republic of Bulgaria
10:00 - 11:15
1st panel: Legitimacy of Constitutional Jurisdiction: 35 Years Later
- Natasa Danelciuc-Colodrovschi, Associate Professor, Vice-director of the Institute Louis Favoreu, Aix Marseille University, CNRS, DICE, ILF, Aix-en-Provence, France
Foundations and Fragility of the Constitutional Courts' Legitimacy: A Comparative European Perspective
- Angela Di Gregorio, Professor at the University of Milan
From Political Vulnerability to the Risk of ‘Capture’: Understanding Constitutional Judge Selection in Central and Eastern Europe
- Orlin Kolev, Chief Assistant Professor at Sofia University St. Kliment Ohridski, Judge at the Constitutional Court of the Republic of Bulgaria
The Legitimacy of the Constitutional Court of the Republic of Bulgaria: Evolution and Prospects
Moderator: Aleksandar Tsekov, Chief Assistant Professor at Sofia University St. Kliment Ohridski, Law Clerk at the Constitutional Court of the Republic of Bulgaria
Time for plenary discussion (30 minutes)
11:15 - 11:45 Coffee Break
11:45 - 13:00
2nd panel: Legal Force and Enforcement of the Decisions of the Constitutional Court
- Jan Theunis, Professor at the University of Hasselt, Law Clerk at the Constitutional Court of Belgium
The Belgian Constitutional Court: from Principled to Pragmatic
- Basile Ridard, Associate Professor at the University of Lille
Decisions of Repeal by the Constitutional Council with Deferred Effect: The Legislature under Time Pressure
- Yanaki Stoilov, Professor at Sofia University St. Kliment Ohridski, Judge at the Constitutional Court of the Republic of Bulgaria
Legal Effect and Enforcement of the Decisions of the Bulgarian Constitutional Court
Moderator: Dilyan Nachev, Chief Assistant Professor at Sofia University St. Kliment Ohridski
Time for plenary discussion (30 minutes)
13:00 - 14:30 Lunch break
14:30 - 16:00
3rd Panel: Application of European Union Law by Constitutional Courts and their Relationship with the Court of Justice of the European Union
- Hristo Hristev, Associate Professor at Sofia University St. Kliment Ohridski
The Primacy of The European Union Law in the Case Law of National Constitutional Courts
- Péter Pál Kruzslicz, Associate Professor at the Faculty of Law of the University of Szeged
The Hungarian Constitutional Court before EU law: Heavily Armed with Competences, Yet Always Fleeing the Battlefield
- Monika Florczak-Wątor, Professor at the Jagiellonian University
Applying EU Law in Times of Crisis: The Polish Constitutional Tribunal and the Protection of Fundamental Rights
- Atanas Semov, Professor at Sofia University St. Kliment Ohridski, Judge at the Constitutional Court of the Republic of Bulgaria
Does the Bulgarian Constitutional Court apply EU law? If so, how? If not, why not?
Moderator: Ivan Stoynev, Associate Professor at Sofia University St. Kliment Ohridski
Time for plenary discussion (30 minutes)
16:00 - 16:30 Closing Remarks
