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Country Background

Bulgaria is located in Southeastern Europe. It is named after the Bulgar tribes who settled the lower Balkan region in the 7th century A.D. Bulgaria is bounded by Greece, Macedonia, Romania, Serbia, and Turkey. The capital of Bulgaria is Sofia. The official language is Bulgarian. The country’s population in 2016 was approximately 7.1 million. Bulgaria is a predominantly Christian country, with about 59% of the population Eastern Orthodox. Islam is a minority religion in Bulgaria, and Muslims make up about 8% of the country's population.

Constitution & Legal Structure

Bulgaria is referred to as a parliamentary republic, in which sovereignty belongs to the people and the Constitution is the supreme law of the land, adopted by popular referendum in 1998. The system of government is civil law based on principles of separation and checks and balances and has three branches: legislative, executive, and judicial. Bulgaria is a member state of the European Union.

Constitutional Status of Islamic Law

Islamic law has no constitutional status in Bulgaria.

Jurisdiction(s) of Islamic Law

Islamic law has no official jurisdiction of operation in Bulgaria.

Dominant School of Islamic Law

Bulgaria has no official school of Islamic law. 

Sources of Law for Legal Research

Official Publications

• Legislative
  
  • Narodno Sobranie [National Assembly]
  • State Gazette
• Executive
  • President
  • Council of Ministers
• Judicial
  • Supreme Judicial Council
  • Supreme Court of Cassation
  • Supreme Administrative Court
  • Constitutional Court - available in English

 Unofficial Databases

• Juricaf: Bulgarie decisions in French
• FAOLEX: Bulgaria (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations) database of national laws and regulations on food, agriculture, and renewable natural resources.
• NATLEX: Bulgaria (International Labour Organization) database of national laws on labor, social security, and related human rights
• RefWorld Legal Information: Bulgaria (UNHCR)
• WIPO Lex: Bulgaria (World Intellectual Property Organization)

References:

For an extended list of legal resources for this country, see the Library of Congress’s Research Guide, and for a narrative review, see the GlobaLex Foreign Law Research Guide (most updated version, where available). The Constitution is available in the LOC Guide in its original language and at Constitute in English translation. For full versions of past constitutions, amendments, and related legislation, see HeinOnline World Constitutions Illustrated or Oxford Constitutions of the World [subscription required for each].