Varna Free University "Chernorizets Hrabar" organizes a National Competition in Criminal Law
23 January 2025
Varna Free University "Chernorizets Hrabar" is the organizer and host of the National Student Competition in Criminal Law, which will be held on April 5, 2025 on the university campus. The event is organized by the Lawyer's Club "Prof. Tamara Hinova" at the Student Council and the Faculty of Law at Varna Free University "Chernorizets Hrabar". The competition aims at bringing together graduates of key universities in the country, who will demonstrate their knowledge in the field of substantive and procedural criminal law.
The Faculty of Law at Varna Free University "Chernorizets Hrabar" has a key position in modern legal education, providing training for future lawyers, guided by established high standards. The prestige of the 'Law' specialty is supported by sustainable results, with excellent implementation of graduates and a significant contribution to the legal profession in Bulgaria. The university has a modern base, well-known lecturers and an active student community - factors that create optimal conditions for holding prestigious academic forums.
“The National Student Competition in Criminal Law is a platform for strengthening the legal culture and professional training of future lawyers, as well as an opportunity to develop lasting contacts and share experience between students,” says fourth-year student Vanessa Dragneva, who heads the Lawyer's Club "Prof. Tamara Hinova" at the University's Student Council.
"The National Student Competition in Criminal Law aims at encouraging the development of practical skills and in-depth knowledge of law students, as well as to stimulate the exchange of good practices between different universities", says the Dean of the Faculty of Law at Varna Free University, Prof. Dr. Yonko Kunchev. It is great that the initiative is an idea of the Student Council, he commented, adding that the competition will provide an opportunity for young lawyers to apply what they have learned, while at the same time becoming familiar with high standards in the legal profession.
Organizing and hosting the National Competition in Criminal Law is pride and a challenge for VFU "Chernorizets Hrabar", but also a natural continuation of the university's long-standing experience in organizing national-scale events and its importance as an educational center. The Law Department at Varna Free University has achieved high results not only in the theoretical but also in the practical training of students.
The competition organized by VFU "Chernorizets Hrabar" will include third to the fifth-year students majoring in Law. Participants have to form teams of three people, and each team may also include one reserve participant. Each higher education institution can send up to three teams. Applications for participation are submitted online via a special form or to the email address sustezanienpn@vfu.bg, with the deadline for registration: March 1st, 2025.
The competition will be held in two rounds, each of which will be held in a direct debate between two teams. In the first round, the teams will be given a case study that must be analyzed and legally qualified within one hour. Participants will be able to use legal literature, collections, laws and case law on paper, as well as the provided legal information systems. Each team will present its decision to a jury consisting of a judge, a prosecutor and three habilitated lecturers.
Only four teams will qualify for the second round, in which the competitors will prepare a draft order, answer questions related to procedural law and present arguments for the answers given.
The competition jury will be composed of key experts in the field of law: a judge from the Court of Appeal, a prosecutor from the District Prosecutor's Office and three habilitated lecturers from different universities. The jury members will evaluate the participants according to criteria, such as logical connection between the arguments, legal terminology, validity of the theses and activity of each team member.
The teams ranked in the first three places will receive special prizes and certificates provided by Varna Free University and the competition partners. All participants will be awarded certificates of participation.
Practical information
The competition will be held at the campus of Varna Free University "Chernorizets Hrabar" in Varna, which is located on the seashore, 10 minutes from Varna and in close proximity to the Golden Sands Nature Park. The university has a dormitory, a cafeteria and a secure parking lot.
More information about the event you can receive from:
Vanessa Dragneva, chairperson of the Lawyer's Club "Prof. Tamara Hinova" at the Student Council
mobile phone: 0877323066 or sustezanienpn@vfu.bg.
Registration for participation is done via the online form, available at the following link: entry form.
Download the competition regulations ►
Download the entry form ►