In his lecture, delivered on February 19, 2026, as part of the “Current Issues in Science” Academic Seminar, Corr. Memb. Velchev presented specific issues related to the creation and implementation of penal policy in the Republic of Bulgaria. He emphasized certain trends in legislation, as well as who was responsible for the effectiveness of crime prevention. Special attention was paid to the role and place of the police and the prosecution in the implementation of state penal policy and the difference between the detection and investigation of crimes.
The lecturer also proposed a simplified model of penal policy in which crime prevention, the full use of administrative and penal sanctions, and the creation of penal bodies based on a new model that treats criminal law as ultima ratio plays a key role. He also interpreted whether the phrase “combating organized crime and corruption” was a cliché and whether the state had sufficient resources to do it effectively.
I congratulate you on this interesting lecture delivered in accessible language for non-specialists and provoking lively discussion among the audience, said the President of BAS, Corr. Memb. Evelina Slavcheva. The lecture was also attended by Vice-President Corr. Memb. Evdokia Pasheva.
Corr. Memb. Boris Velchev is a professor of penal and international penal law. He has more than 35 years of teaching experience at Sofia University “St. Kliment Ohridski.” He is the author of numerous publications, as well as 10 monographs devoted to issues of penal law.
He was chairman of the President’s Legal Council. In 2006, he was elected Prosecutor General of the Republic of Bulgaria. For nine years, he was a judge in the Constitutional Court and was elected its chairman for two terms.
The lecture can be viewed at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X-0khZbTMZE
