The young elite of the Bulgarian legal thought is meeting at Varna Free University

05 Април 2025

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The National Student Competition in Criminal Law has started at Varna Free University "Chernorizets Hrabar". 12 teams from six key universities in the country are participating. The UNWE is represented by three teams, the Veliko Tarnovo University "St. St. Cyril and Methodius", the University of Ruse "Angel Kanchev", the South-West University "Neofit Rilski" and Varna Free University "Chernorizets Hrabar" each have two teams, and the Plovdiv University "Paisiy Hilendarski" participated with one team.

After the final second round, the jury announced the ranking in the National Competition in Criminal Law:
First place is for the team of the Veliko Tarnovo University "St. St. Cyril and Methodius" with captain Mikaela Mihaylova and members: Margarita Hristova, Kaan Iriev and Berna Huseinova
Second place is for the team of Varna Free University "Chernorizets Hrabar" with captain Vanessa Dragneva and members: Georgi Georgiev, Yoanna Ninova and Dimitar Nedelchev
Third place is for the team of the South-West University "Neofit Rilski" with captain Nikolay Paskalchev and members: Kristiana Parvanova, Nadezhda Aymalieva and Lachezar Nedyalkov
Best speaker is Nedyalko Kolev from Varna Free University.
After the presentation of the 12 teams in the first round, the jury, chaired by Prof. D. Sc. Lazar Gruev, evaluated the competitors on nine indicators according to the competition regulations. In the second round of the competition, the following teams continued:

- Team 5 - Veliko Tarnovo University "St. St. Cyril and Methodius" with captain Mikaela Mihaylova,
- Team 7 - Varna Free University "Chernorizets Hrabar" with captain Nedyalko Kolev,
- Team 6 - Southwestern University "Neofit Rilski" with captain Nikolay Paskalchev
and
- Team 9 - Varna Free University "Chernorizets Hrabar" with captain Vanessa Dragneva.

The competition was opened by Yani Yanev – Vice President of Varna Free University, Prof. D. Sc.Yonko Kunchev – Dean of the Faculty of Law, and Judge Marin Marinov – Chairperson of the Court of Appeal – Varna.
“Before us is the young elite of the Bulgarian legal thought,” said Yani Yanev in his greeting to the participants. He extended special congratulations to the Student Council at Varna Free University for their initiative and hard work – not only in organizing the competition, but also in restoring the Lawyer’s club “Prof. Tamara Hinova”
Judge Marin Marinov addressed the participants with the words: “Thank you for accepting the challenge to participate in a competition in criminal law at this crucial moment, when the power of law is against the right of force. You are the winners, since today we are here – together – and we are talking about law.”
The Dean of the Faculty of Law, Prof. D. Sc. Yonko Kunchev, expressed his desire for Varna Free University to hold the competition annually and for it to become a meeting of future lawyers, friendship and collegiality. “This forum is an occasion to gain knowledge and experience necessary for your professional growth,” he said.
The chairperson of the jury is Prof. D. Sc. Lazar Gruev. The members of the jury are: Judge Rositsa Toncheva - judge in the Criminal Division of the Court of Appeal, Dr. Daniel Iliev - prosecutor in the District Prosecutor's Office - Dobrich. After the draw, two team leaders joined the teams: Senior Asst. Prof. Dr. Lyuboslav Lyubenov from the University of Ruse and Senior Asst. Prof. Dr. Daniela Dimitrova from the University of Veliko Tarnovo.
The competition is held in two rounds. Students solve cases related to substantive and procedural criminal law. The format includes practical tasks that place participants in situations requiring analysis, legal argumentation and presentation of decisions before an authoritative jury composed of university professors and representatives of the practice. The four best-performing teams will reach the second round.
The national competition aroused serious interest not only among the students of Varna Free University, but also among school students who wish to continue their education in Law. Guests of the event are the students of Law Administration at the Secondary School for Humanities and Arts “Konstantin Preslavski” – Varna, as well as students from First Language High School, as well as students from various Varna schools. For them, the Faculty of Law has prepared a special programme - a visit to the rooms on methodology and tactics of investigation and a talk with Prof. D. Sc. Yonko Kunchev.

Photos: Ksenia Urekina