Bulgaria without State-appointed Attorneys over Unpaid Fees

Bulgarian lawyers refuse to work as State-appointed and stand-by defense counsel over the cabinet's failure to pay their fees. File photo

The attorneys in the Bulgarian capital Sofia have terminated all their participation in cases where they have been appointed by the State as defense counsel.

Lawyers from the capital and the nearby towns of Botevgrad, Elin Pelin, Ihtiman, Kostinbrod, Etropole, Pirdop, Svoge, Slivnitsa, and Samokov, declare they will no longer work for the State, even on current cases, unless they receive their overdue payments.

With the move, attorneys from Sofia have joined similar protests and boycotts of their colleagues in the regions of Blagoevgrad, Haskovo and Pazardzhik, the cities of Varna, Vidin, Vratsa and Pernik and the town of Kyustendil.

Despite the cabinet's decree, dated September 17, slating BGN 3 M for State-appointed attorneys to cover overdue fees and other expenses, the Finance Ministry has not yet transferred the money. The government currently owes lawyers BGN 1.7 M.

The Supreme Bar Council states the responsibility for blocking the work of State-appointed and stand-by defense belongs entirely to those State servants, who have failed to obey the Council of Ministers' decree, but do not name in person Finance Minister, Simeon Djankov.

The letter has been sent to Interior Minister, Tsvetan Tsvetanov, the Chief Prosecutor, Boris Velchev, and the new Ombudsman and former Chair of the Supreme Administrative Court, Konstantin Penchev

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