Viara Kelcheva holds a Master's degree in Law from Sofia University "St. Kliment Ohridski", Bulgaria.
Mrs. Kelcheva commenced her career in law as a court judge at the Pazardzhik District Court and later held the position of a District Attorney in Pazardzhik for 9 years.
In April 1998, Mrs. Kelcheva joined the Pazardzhik Bar Association. From the very beginning, Mrs. Kelcheva engaged in an independent practice, consulting and representing clients in a variety of cases, most of them related to criminal law.
Mrs. Kelcheva had been a member of the Association for European Integration and Human Rights (Eurorights) in Plovdiv, where she had given lectures on various topics and has provided pro bono legal advice to private citizens.
Based on legal filings, submitted by Mrs. Kelcheva at the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg, there had been fourteen cases formed against the Republic of Bulgaria, including “Ganchev vs. Bulgaria”, “Navushtanov vs. Bulgaria”, “Malechkov vs. Bulgaria” and others.
Mrs. Kelcheva also represents citizens in civil, labor and commercial cases.
Mrs. Kelcheva constantly enriches her knowledge through participating in various law courses and seminars and through closely following any new legislation developments.
Work Experience
| Dates | 04/28/1998 – present |
| Position held | Attorney, Pazardzhik Bar Association, Bulgaria |
| Key duties and responsibilities | Consultation and representation of individuals and legal entities in criminal, administrative and civil cases. |
| 08/07/1989 – 04/13/1998 | |
| Position held | District Attorney |
| Key duties and responsibilities | Supervision over the work of the prosecutors’ team in the Pazardzhik District Prosecutor’s Office and participation in various criminal and civil cases. |
| Employer’s name and address | Pazardzhik District Prosecutor’s Office |
| Dates | 07/01/1984 – 08/01/1989 |
| Position held | Court Judge |
| Key duties and responsibilities | Enforcement of court judgments in favor of the state, legal entities and individuals. |
| Employer’s name and address | Pazardzhik District Court, Bulgaria |
| Dates | 04/01/1983 – 04/01/1984 |
| Position held | Junior Court Judge |
| Key duties and responsibilities | Close work with investigators, judges, lawyers, notaries and bailiffs. |
| Employer’s name and address | Pazardzhik District Court, Bulgaria |
Education
| Dates | 15/09/1976 - 30/05/1981 |
| Qualification received | Jurist |
| Key subjects/professional stills |
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| Name of academic institution | Sofia University "St. Kliment Ohridski", Bulgaria |
| Degree | Master’s Degree |
| Dates | 15/09/1971 - 30/05/1975 |
| Qualification received | Economist |
| Key subjects/professional stills |
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| Name of academic institution | Technical School for Information Analysis "Dimitar Kalyashki", Sofia |
| Degree | High school diploma |