Prof. Gergana Marinova, DSc

Gergana Marinova

Contact details

Institute for the State and the Law (formerly Institute of Legal Studies), Bulgarian Academy of Sciences

4 Serdika Street, Sofia 1000, Bulgaria

e-mail: gerrymarinova@yahoo.com

Education

Sofia University “St. Kl. Ohridski”, Faculty of Law: Master’s degree in Law (1999);

Institute of Legal Studies: PhD in Law (2005).

Professional experience

Institute for the State and the Law

04.2026 – present: Deputy Director

02.06.2025: scientific degree “Doctor of Sciences”

10.04.2018 – present: Professor of criminal procedure (Areas of expertise: criminal procedure, comparative criminal procedure, police and judicial cooperation in criminal matters in EU, human rights in criminal procedure, plea bargaining);

2010 – 10.04.2018: Associate professor of criminal procedure

2001 – 2010: Research fellow in criminal procedure

2011 – 15.02.2017: Deputy Director;

2008 – 2011: acting scientific secretary and scientific secretary (since 2010)

University of the Ministry of Interior

10.09.2018 – present: Professor of criminal procedure

2010 – 10.09.2018: Associate professor of criminal procedure;

2001 – 2010: Assistant professor of criminal procedure.

Specializations/research activities abroad

November 2002 – April 2003: Visiting scholar, University of Florence, Faculty of Law (research project “Measures of Procedural Coercion in the Italian Criminal Procedure”);

July 2006: Visiting scholar, Max Planck Institute for the Study of Crime, Security and Law (formerly Max Planck Institute for Foreign and International Criminal Law), Freiburg, Germany (research project “European Arrest Warrant”);

September 2007 – February 2008: Fulbright visiting scholar, Northwestern University School of Law, Chicago, USA (research project “Electronic Surveillance and Undercover Investigations”);

October 2009: Visiting scholar, Institute of Advanced Legal Studies, University of London (research project “EU Criminal Law”).

Participation in European projects

2009 – 2013: Member of working group 4 “Public Policy and Regulation of Surveillance” of COST Action “Living in Surveillance Societies”.

2010 – 2011: Participant (lecturer) in the project “Standardized Training for Financial Investigation of Organized Crime and Terrorism” financed by the European Commission through the EU Program “Prevention and Fight against Crime”;

2014 – 2015: Participant (expert) in the project “Human rights protection and further development of necessary skills and knowledge of police officers, especially those working in multi-ethnic environment, including Roma communities” financed through the Norwegian financial mechanism.

2021: Legal expert for Bulgaria in the project “Study to support the preparation of the initiative to extend the list of EU crimes in Article 83 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the EU to hate speech and hate crime (JUST/2020/RRAC/FW/RIGH/0136)”, under the assignment of the European Commission, Directorate-General for Justice and Consumers.

2022: Legal expert for Bulgaria in the project „Analysing online hatred in selected EU Member States“ under the assignment of the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights.

2024-2025: Legal expert for Bulgaria in the project: „Exploratory study on possible lisbonisation of ex-third pillar acquis in the area of mutual recognition in criminal matters“ financed by the European Commission, Directorate-General for Justice and Consumers.

Membership in professional organizations and academic networks

Member of the Bulgarian Association of Criminology

Foreign languages: English

Publications in English

1. Bulgarian Criminal Procedure: the New Philosophy and Issues of Approximation. – Review of Central and East European Law, 2006, Vol. 31, No. 1.

2. Тhe Cooperation and Verification Mechanism in Bulgaria. Its Role for the Successful Implementation of Mutual Recognition Principle in Criminal Matters (coauthor Iskra Uzunova). – eucrim, 2010, No 2. /http://ec.europa.eu/anti_fraud/documents/publications-agon/eucrim_10_02_en.pdf/

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Publications in Bulgarian

Monographs

1. Extradition and European Arrest Warrant. Sofia, Sibi, 2009.
2. Plea Bargaining in Bulgarian Criminal Procedure. Sofia, Sibi, 2017.
3. The |Principle of Inner Conviction in Bulgarian Criminal Procedure. Sofia, Siela, 2025.

Handbooks and manuals

1. Criminal Procedure. Diagrams and Tables (coauthor V. Vuchkov). Sofia, Sibi, 2007; 2011 (second edition); 2013 (third edition); 2016 (forth edition); 2018 (fifth edition)
2. Tests in Criminal Procedure (coauthor V.Vuchkov). Sofia, Siela, 2007; 2014 (second edition), 2018 (third edition).
3. Tests and Cases in Criminal Procedure (coauthors E. Salkova and Y. Roychev). Sofia, Ciela, 2021.
4. Criminal Procedure. Study Guide. Sofia, Ciela, 2023; 2025 (second edition).

Articles and other published materials

1. Plea Bargaining and the Principles of Bulgarian Criminal Procedure. - Pravna misal, 2001, No. 2.

2. Electronic Evidence. - Pravna misal, 2002, No. 3.

3. Measures of Procedural Coercion in the Italian Criminal Procedure. - Savremenno pravo, 2003, No. 6.

4. Detention of the Requested Person in the Extradition and Surrender Proceedings. - Pravna misal, 2004, No. 1.

5. Arrest and Detention in the American Criminal Procedure. - Savremenno pravo, 2004, No 6.

6. Pre-trial Detention. – In: Nauchni trudove na Instituta za pravni nauki, 2004, Vol. I,.

7. Pre-trial Detention: Legal Nature and Characteristics. - Pravna missal, 2005, No. 1.

8. Defendant’s Right to Legal Assistance under art. 6 of the European Convention on Human Rights – In: Dostap do pravosadie. Sluzhebna zashtita po nakazatelni dela. Sofia, 2005.

9. Anonymous Witness. - Savremenno pravo, 2006, No. 2.

10. The Third Pillar of the European Union. - Pravna misal, 2007, No 1.

11. Surrender of Bulgarian Nationals in Execution of the European Arrest. - Pravna misal, 2007, No 2.

12. Extradition and Human Rights – In: Nauchni trudove na Instituta za pravni nauki (2006), 2007, Vol. III.

13. European arrest warrant. - Byuletin na Asociaciyata na prokurorite v Bulgaria, 2008, No 2.

14. Framework Decision on European Arrest Warrant. - Journal of the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, 2008, No 2.

15. The Principle “Ne bis in idem” under the Bulgarian Code of Criminal Procedure and the case-law of the Courts in Strasbourg and Luxemburg. - Pravna misal, 2009, No 1.

16. Criminal Law and its Role for Combating Corruption – In: Investing in People (collection book), 2009.

17. The Role of Europol for Financial Investigation of Organized Crime and Terrorism – In: Standardized Training for Financial Investigation of Organized Crime and Terrorism (collection book), 2011, p. 324-339.

18. Preventive measures under the Criminal Procedure Code. - Obstestvo i pravo, 2012, No 4.

19. Entrapment by Undercover Agents and the Right to Fair Trial under art. 6 (1) of the European Convention of Human Rights. - Pravna misal, 2012, No 4.

20. Directive 2010/64/EU of the European Parliament and the Council of 20 October 2010 on the right to interpretation and translation in criminal proceedings and its transposition in Bulgaria. - Norma, 2014, No 4.

21. Special Means of Surveillance and the Right to Respect for Private and Family Life under art. 8 of ECHR. - Pravna misal, 2014, No 3.

22. Court of Cassation’s Powers in Criminal Proceedings. - Obstestvo i pravo, 2014, No 5.

23. Common Minimum Standards of Procedural Rights of Suspected or Accused Persons in Criminal Proceedings in EU. – In: European Perspectives for the Development of Criminal Legislation, Sofia, 2014.

24. Use of force, auxiliary means and firearms by the police in Bulgaria (legislation analysis). – In: Legislation framework of the use of force, auxiliary means and firearms by police officers in Bulgaria. Sofia, 2015.

25. On some issues of the abbreviated procedure. - De Jure, 2016, Vol. 7, No 1. /http://journals.uni-vt.bg/dejure/bul/vol7/iss1/4/

26. Special criminal proceedings – traditions and perspectives. – In: Criminal Legislation – tradition and perspectives. Sofia, St. Kliment Ohridski University Press, 2016.

27. Speeding up the investigation through special criminal proceedings. – In: Practical Aspects of Crime Prevention, Detection and Investigation, Sofia, 2016.

28. Speediness of criminal procedure. Obstestvo i pravo, 2016, No 8.

29. Penal Order. – In: Criminal Jurisdiction – Traditions and Perspectives. Sofia, St. Kliment Ohridski University Press, pp 128-135.

30. Challenges to Criminal Procedure Legislation in Implementing the Requirements of the Directives of the European Parliament and the Council of the European Union. – In: 10 Years Bulgaria in EU – Effects on the Development of Public Policies and Legislation. Sofia, New Bulgarian University Press, 2018. http://ebox.nbu.bg/bgineu/

31. Plea Bargaining and Abbreviated Judicial Proceedings in Bulgarian Criminal Procedure. – In: Nauchni trudove na Instituta za darzhavata i pravoto, 2018, vol. 17

32. On the Judicial Control over Some Investigative Acts. - Pravna missal, 2019, No 4.

33. Correction of Obvious Factual Errors in the Indictment – In: Nauchni trudove na Instituta za darzhavata i pravoto, 2019, vol. 18.

34. The European Public Prosecutor’s Office – Establishment and Competences (co-authored). - Pravna missal, 2021, No 1.

35. The Principle of Intime Conviction in the Bulgarian Criminal Procedure. - Pravna missal, 2021, No 2.

36. Exceptions to the Fundamental Principles of the Bulgarian Criminal Procedure. – In: Nauchni trudove na Instituta za darzhavata i pravoto, 2021, vol. 20.

37. Specifics of the Special Surveillance Means in Bulgarian Criminal Procedure. - De jure, 2021, Vol. 12, No 2. /http://journals.uni-vt.bg/dejure/bul/vol12/iss2/12/

38. Judgement of the Court of Justice of the EU in Case c-282/20 and the Intermediate Stage according to the Bulgarian Criminal Procedure Code. - De jure, 2022, № 2 /https://journals.uni-vt.bg/dejure/bul/vol13/iss2/3/.

39. Does the Punishment Imposed by Plea-agreement fulfill the Preventive Goals of Punishment under Art. 36 of the Penal Code? - In: Applied Criminology in Bulgaria. Collection of Reports from a Scientific Conference of New Bulgarian University (Department of National and International Security and Department of Law) and the Bulgarian Association of Criminology. Sofia, 2022.

40. On Some Issues of Bringing Charges in the Pre-trial phase of the Bulgarian Criminal Procedure. – Pravna missal, 2023, No 2.

41. Requirements of the European Court of Human Rights Regarding Search and Seizure in Criminal Proceedings - In: Scientific Conference dedicated to 110 years since the birth of Prof. Dr. Ivan Nenov and 90 years since the birth of Prof. Dr. Tseko Tsekov. Collection of Reports. Sofia: St. Kliment Ohridski University Press, 2023.

42. Standards of Proof in Bulgarian Criminal Procedure. – In: Nauchni trudove na Instituta za darzhavata i pravoto, Vol. XXIII, 2024.

43. On the Admissibility of Criminal Evidence – Pravna missal, 2024, No 2

44. On the Refusal to Testify and the Prohibition of Questioning Attorneys and Interpreters in Criminal Proceedings. – Advokatski pregled, 2024, No 6.

45. On the Transposition of the EU Directives on Procedural Rights of Suspected and Accused Persons in Bulgaria. – Obstestvo i pravo, 2025, No 2.

46. On the Relationship between Criminal Law and Criminal Procedure. – In: Scientific Conference Dedicated to the 90 Anniversary of Prof. Dr. Dimitar Mihaylov. Proceedings. Sofia, St. Kliment Ohridski University Press, 2025.

47. The Principle of Immediacy in Bulgarian Criminal Procedure. – De jure, 2026, vol. 17, No 1 /https://journals.uni-vt.bg/dejure/bul/vol17/iss1/.

48. On the Reasons of the Verdict. – In: Scientific Conference Dedicated to the 110 Anniversary of Acad. Stefan Pavlov. Proceedings. Sofia, St. Kliment Ohridski University Press, 2026.