Indicator history

According to a study, conducted in 2007 by an NGO in northeastern Bulgaria among representatives of the vulnerable groups, ethnic minorities being one of these, the main obstacle regarding the access to justice is financial. The court fees and the tariffs for court-related services (such as photocopying of court papers) are too high and are often preventing the representatives of the minorities from receiving quality or any service in courts. Observers also state that the appointed by the court defense counsels, who great part of the minority representatives use being unable to pay for a lawyer, offer service of lower quality. Minorities’ representatives state that they note that the prosecutors and defense counsels deliberately strive towards reaching an agreement at early stage of the trial sometimes by urging their clients to plead guilty.

In a survey, conducted by the Center for the Study of Democracy, asylum seekers report to face financial obstacles in covering transport expenses for attending court hearings and meetings with their legal aid counselors. Accidently, Kurdish asylum seekers report to have appointed in courts Arabic interpreters, who they do not understand.