Lawyers and the Socialist Regime in Bulgaria: The Sovietization of the Profession and Local Resistance Practices
Lawyers and the Socialist Regime in Bulgaria: The Sovietization of the Profession and Local Resistance Practices

Summary/Abstract: The goal of this working paper is to analyze relations between lawyers and the Soviet-type socialist regime in Bulgaria. The chief question I will seek to answer is how a profession referred to as instrumental for the emancipation of liberal societies (Abel & Lewis 1988–1989) ended up caught in the iron grip of Soviet undemocratic regimes. Liberal regimes turn lawyers into intermediaries guaranteeing the exercise of civil rights by providing expert knowledge as a service. My question is whether and how the socialist regime managed to turn them into intermediaries for imposing control over citizens.

• Details
• Contents