VARNA FREE UNIVERSITY CELEBRATES INTERNATIONAL RESTORATIVE JUSTICE WEEK

14 november 2025

On the occasion of the upcoming International Restorative Justice Week, a lecture will be delivered on the topic "Restorative Justice - the New Paradigm of Criminal Justice". It will be given by Prof. Dobrinka Chankova, PhD - lecturer at the Faculty of Law at Varna Free University. The event is scheduled for 25 November at 11:00 am in Hall 404 in the main building and will be accompanied by a film screening. The initiative gives the Varna Free University students the opportunity to join the global campaign to promote restorative justice, which this year goes under the motto "Integrating Restorative Justice into Human Rights".

A Manifesto on Restorative Justice and Human Rights, developed by the European Forum for Restorative Justice - a leading international organization, among whose co-founders is Prof. Chankova, will also be presented.

Prof. Dobrinka Chankova, PhD is an established lecturer and researcher in the field of criminal procedure, restorative justice and mediation. She is among the first in Bulgaria to include the country in European analyses of restorative justice. She is known for her active role in the creation and implementation of the Mediation Act and for her participation in a number of expert and legislative bodies. She is the author of over 100 scientific papers and has led numerous national and international projects related to alternative dispute resolution and the protection of human rights. In the summer of this year, she was awarded the academic award of the Global Academy for Training and Research. Prof. Chankova was honoured for her active research and teaching activities. She also received the "Best Presenter" award for the presentation of a report on the topic "Does the Application of the Mendez Principles for Effective Interviewing in Investigations and Information Collection Serve Victims of Crime?".