Rule of Law: Success Stories
Bulgaria’s National Institute of Justice
Bulgaria’s Day of Awareness and Intellectual Pursuit was celebrated this year with the inauguration ceremony of the new building for the National Institute of Justice (NIJ). Live violin players, participation of Bulgarian government officials and members of the international community and a festive ambiance created by lighting and flowers in the Grand Hall commemorated the opening.
The efforts and care taken to renovate the building furthers NIJ’s mandate of judicial excellence by the training of leaders and magistrates. The building is a cultural monument, protected by the Government of Bulgaria (GOB), located in the old district of Sofia. The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) financed the six months of interior renovations. The facility now contains seven training rooms, one large conference hall and office space for NIJ staff.
Developing a transparent and accountable Rule of Law (ROL) is a main priority for the US Government Assistance in Bulgaria. USAID/Bulgaria, through its Judicial Development Project (JDP), is the primary NIJ donor. The inauguration of the building represents a symbol of Bulgaria’s commitment to a fair, just and efficient judicial system. The building ensures an appropriate and effective training environment.
Formally beginning its activities in January 2004, the NIJ was created by statute via the Judicial System Act (JSA) in 2002. Its mandate calls for providing training to all new judges, prosecutors and investigators and continuing training to all magistrates and court staff. USAID has provided technical support, including, management and administrative assistance; training of a cadre of judicial educators; and developing and implementing a comprehensive program of course offerings for judges and judicial staff.
Since the program's inception, all newly appointed judges and those with less than three years of professional experience have attended the program. NIJ delivers appropriate and relevant training by professionally trained faculty using contemporary adult education methodologies and international judicial training best practices. Topics have ranged from criminal and civil law first instance procedures, taught by indigenous trainers, to multinational workshops on topics such as judicial ethics, involving instructors from Bulgaria, the United States, and Europe. This training contributes to a well informed and skilled judiciary that performs its tasks with the utmost effectiveness and efficiency.
The NIJ, a GOB organization, builds upon the successes and experiences of its predecessor, the Magistrates Training Center (MTC). The MTC, a not-for-profit organization, also funded by USAID, performed similar training functions from 1999 until 2002. Becoming a government organization ensures the financial sustainability of judicial training after USAID assistance ends.
Currently, the training programs carried out by NIJ focuses on judges. With the expansion of its institutional capacity, the NIJ will train prosecutors and investigators as well as court staff. To date, the NIJ/MTC has trained 5924 officials.
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