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VFU "Chernorizets Hrabar" won second place and were excellent hosts at the National Competition in Criminal Law
06 Април 2025
A team from “St. St. Cyril and Methodius” University of Veliko Tarnovo won the first place in the National Student Competition in Criminal Law, which was held at Varna Free University “Chernorizets Hrabar”. The captain of the winners was Mikaela Mihaylova, and her teammates were Margarita Hristova, Kaan Iriev and Berna Huseinova.
The second place was for the team of the hosts from Varna Free University “Chernorizets Hrabar” with captain Vanessa Dragneva and members – Georgi Georgiev, Yoanna Ninova and Dimitar Nedelchev. Third place was for the team from the South-West University “Neofit Rilski”, led by Nikolay Paskalchev, with participants Kristiana Parvanova, Nadezhda Aymalieva and Lachezar Nedyalkov.
The best speaker in the competition was Nedyalko Kolev from Varna Free University. The teams of VFU "Chernorizets Hrabar" were preared by Judge Ivelina Zheleva from the District Court - Varna.
The winners, participants and their mentors were given awards provided by Varna Free University, the Faculty of Law, the Student Council and the publishing houses "Sibi" and "Ciela".
In a statement after the final of the competition, the chairperson of the jury - Prof. D. Sc. Lazar Gruev - emphasized the high level of the students: "The competition was very difficult but it showed that universities prepare their students well. It had an Olympic spirit of cooperation, exceptional fighting spirit and demonstration of serious knowledge."
The competition brought together 12 teams from six key universities from the country – the University of National and World Economy, Veliko Tarnovo University “St. St. Cyril and Methodius”, Plovdiv University “Paisiy Hilendarski”, Ruse University “Angel Kanchev”, the South-West University “Neofit Rilski” and the hosts from Varna Free University “Chernorizets Hrabar”. The students were evaluated by a five-member jury consisting of: Chairperson Prof. D. Sc. Lazar Gruev – member of the Constitutional Court (2003–2007), Chairperson of the Supreme Court of Cassation (2007–2014) and a long-time lecturer at Varna Free University; Rositsa Toncheva – judge in the Criminal Division of the Court of Appeal; Dr. Daniel Iliev – prosecutor at the District Prosecutor’s Office – Dobrich, and after the draw, two team leaders also joined: Chief Assist. Prof. Dr. Lyuboslav Lyubenov from the University of Ruse and Senior Assist. Prof. Dr. Daniela Dimitrova from the University of Veliko Tarnovo.
After the first round in which all 12 teams solved practical cases in the field of substantive and procedural criminal law, the jury ranked four teams for the final phase – two from Varna Free University and one each from Veliko Tarnovo University and South-West University. The evaluation criteria covered nine aspects of the teams’ performance.
Earlier in the day, the competition was opened by the Vice President of Varna Free University Yani Yanev, the Dean of the Faculty of Law Prof. D.Sc. Yonko Kunchev and Judge Marin Marinov – Chairperson of the Court of Appeal – Varna. In their welcoming remarks, they emphasized the importance of the forum for the professional development of students and encouraged efforts to establish it as an annual initiative of VFU “Chernorizets Hrabar”.
The event attracted interest not only from the student community, but also from school students interested in law. Among the guests were the students of Law Administration at the Secondary School for Humanities and Arts “Konstantin Preslavski” – Varna, the First Language High School and other Varna schools, for whom the Faculty of Law organized a special educational programme.
The participants, the jury and the guests gave an extremely high assessment of the organization of the competition, which was held for the first time at Varna Free University. All teams expressed their desire to return to the seaside next year for the next edition of the competition.
More photos and emotions from the competition day, you can see here ►
The second place was for the team of the hosts from Varna Free University “Chernorizets Hrabar” with captain Vanessa Dragneva and members – Georgi Georgiev, Yoanna Ninova and Dimitar Nedelchev. Third place was for the team from the South-West University “Neofit Rilski”, led by Nikolay Paskalchev, with participants Kristiana Parvanova, Nadezhda Aymalieva and Lachezar Nedyalkov.
The best speaker in the competition was Nedyalko Kolev from Varna Free University. The teams of VFU "Chernorizets Hrabar" were preared by Judge Ivelina Zheleva from the District Court - Varna.
The winners, participants and their mentors were given awards provided by Varna Free University, the Faculty of Law, the Student Council and the publishing houses "Sibi" and "Ciela".
In a statement after the final of the competition, the chairperson of the jury - Prof. D. Sc. Lazar Gruev - emphasized the high level of the students: "The competition was very difficult but it showed that universities prepare their students well. It had an Olympic spirit of cooperation, exceptional fighting spirit and demonstration of serious knowledge."
The competition brought together 12 teams from six key universities from the country – the University of National and World Economy, Veliko Tarnovo University “St. St. Cyril and Methodius”, Plovdiv University “Paisiy Hilendarski”, Ruse University “Angel Kanchev”, the South-West University “Neofit Rilski” and the hosts from Varna Free University “Chernorizets Hrabar”. The students were evaluated by a five-member jury consisting of: Chairperson Prof. D. Sc. Lazar Gruev – member of the Constitutional Court (2003–2007), Chairperson of the Supreme Court of Cassation (2007–2014) and a long-time lecturer at Varna Free University; Rositsa Toncheva – judge in the Criminal Division of the Court of Appeal; Dr. Daniel Iliev – prosecutor at the District Prosecutor’s Office – Dobrich, and after the draw, two team leaders also joined: Chief Assist. Prof. Dr. Lyuboslav Lyubenov from the University of Ruse and Senior Assist. Prof. Dr. Daniela Dimitrova from the University of Veliko Tarnovo.
After the first round in which all 12 teams solved practical cases in the field of substantive and procedural criminal law, the jury ranked four teams for the final phase – two from Varna Free University and one each from Veliko Tarnovo University and South-West University. The evaluation criteria covered nine aspects of the teams’ performance.
Earlier in the day, the competition was opened by the Vice President of Varna Free University Yani Yanev, the Dean of the Faculty of Law Prof. D.Sc. Yonko Kunchev and Judge Marin Marinov – Chairperson of the Court of Appeal – Varna. In their welcoming remarks, they emphasized the importance of the forum for the professional development of students and encouraged efforts to establish it as an annual initiative of VFU “Chernorizets Hrabar”.
The event attracted interest not only from the student community, but also from school students interested in law. Among the guests were the students of Law Administration at the Secondary School for Humanities and Arts “Konstantin Preslavski” – Varna, the First Language High School and other Varna schools, for whom the Faculty of Law organized a special educational programme.
The participants, the jury and the guests gave an extremely high assessment of the organization of the competition, which was held for the first time at Varna Free University. All teams expressed their desire to return to the seaside next year for the next edition of the competition.
More photos and emotions from the competition day, you can see here ►