The judicial system in Bulgaria

The judicial system in Bulgaria includes:

- District courts

- Regional Courts /Court of appeal

- Supreme Court of Cassation

When the Regional court is acting as second court of instance, the judgments (decisions) are subject to appeal before the Supreme Court of cassation.

The District Courts acts as a first court instance when the claim is not under the jurisdiction of the Regional Court. In this case the judgments of the District Courts are appealed before the Regional Courts as second court instance.

The Regional Courts acts as first instance for the following claims:

1. the claims for ascertaining or contesting origin, for termination of an adoption, for depriving from legal ability or for cancellation of the deprivation;

2. claims of ownership or other real rights over a property with a price of the claim over 50 000 BGN;

3. claims of civil and commercial lawsuits with a price of the claim over 25 000 BGN, except for the claims for maintenance, on labor disputes and for receivables from deficiency acts;

4. claims to find that an entry is inadmissible or null and void, as well as that an entered circumstance does not exist, if this provided by a law;

5. claims, which under other laws are subject to hearing by the district court.

When the regional court is a first court instance, the judgements are subject to appeal before the Court of appeal which shall be the second court instance. In this case the decisions of the Court of appeal shall be appealed before the Supreme Court of cassation.

The Supreme Court of cassation is the highest and most important judicial organ supervising the judgements of the first two court instances. Subject to appeal before the Supreme Court of Cassation shall be the appellate decision which:

1. is decided in contradiction to the practice of the Supreme Court of cassation;

2. is contradictory decided by the courts;

3. is of importance for the precise application of the law, as well as for the development of the law.

The Supreme Court of Cassation shall keep in force or revoke partially or fully the appealed decision (judgment) as the decision of the last court instance is obligatory for all parties involved and for all other courts of law, institutions and municipalities in the Republic of Bulgaria.