This article explores the essential legal features of professional status of notaries as stipulated by The Notaries and Notarial Practice Act (NNPA), adopted by Bulgarian Parliament and promulgated in State Gazette (SG), No. 104 of 6th December 1996. This new legislation is designed to introduce the status of the ‘classical Latin notary’, who is an independent legal professional charged by the State with certain non-contentious judicial functions (authentication of transactions of real rights of ownership over real estates, wills, attestations, certifications of private documents etc.), appointed to a limited number of government-created posts and enjoying a high social and economic status. Special attention is paid also to the basic legal principles governing the organisation of notarial practice in Bulgaria. The last part of the article treats the requirements for the acquisition of capacity of a notary under current Bulgarian law.
I. Context. II. Transformation Process. III: Current Position of Bulgarian Notaries. III.1. General Characteristics III.2. Terms of Competence (Power) of the Notary. III.3. Basic Principles of Bulgarian Organizational Notary Law. (1) Principle of Independence and Lawfulness. (2) Principle of Impartiality. (3) Principle of the Limited Area (Region/District) of Practice. (4) Principle of Availability of Notarial Services. (5) Principle of Confidentiality. IV. Access to the Profession of a Notary.
DIRECTOR
