On 2 December 2025, AmCham Bulgaria convened an expert discussion under the theme “AI: The Role of Humans in Judicial and Law Enforcement Processes.” Organized by AmCham’s Rule of Law & Legislative Reforms Committee, the event brought together leading judges, legal scholars, and practitioners to examine how AI‑driven tools can be reconciled with fundamental principles of law, human rights, and judicial procedure. The event opened with remarks by AmCham’s CEO, along with Omourtag Petkov — Partner at DGKV and Chair of the RLLR Committee — signalling the firm’s active involvement in shaping the future of justice in Bulgaria.

 

Panel Discussions

The first panel focused on AI and the fundamentals of law, examining the compatibility of automated and AI-driven decisions with legal procedure and core legal principles. Participants included Yanaki Stoilov, PhD, Judge at the Constitutional Court, Denitsa Valkova, Judge at the Supreme Court of Cassation, and Margarita Hubenova‑Popova, PhD, Chief Assistant Professor at Sofia University “St. Kliment Ohridski. They emphasized that a thorough understanding of AI terminology is essential for legal practitioners and highlighted the EU AI Act’s rules for high-risk AI systems, designed to protect human rights, ensure transparency, and guarantee human oversight. The panel also highlighted how emerging AI technologies challenge legal professionals and reaffirmed that, under both the Act and Bulgarian law, AI-assisted opinions cannot substitute the moral and legal authority of judges or human experts.

The second panel addressed practical applications of AI in Bulgarian law, with insights from Dimitar Danailov, Member of the Commission on Protection of Competition, Nelly Ilieva, Country Manager of DELL Technologies Bulgaria, Lyubka Petrova, Judge at the Supreme Administrative Court, Olya Dimitrova, President of the Patent Office, and Martin Belov, PhD, Vice‑Dean at Sofia University “St. Kliment Ohridski. Public-sector participants highlighted the strategic importance of closed data environments for mitigating current risks. Business-sector speakers pointed to the considerable advantages of AI, while reaffirming that human oversight is indispensable, as technological systems operate according to human-established intentions and direction.

 

Insights and Takeaways

The conference highlighted that AI can significantly support legal professionals but cannot replace human expertise. Effective implementation of AI in justice requires both technical understanding and ethical responsibility.

 

As co-sponsor of the event, DGKV reaffirms its commitment to promoting responsible, ethical, and transparent use of AI in the legal sector, combining technological innovation with professional integrity.

For more information on the event: here