FAIR-PReSONS Multiplier Event in Bulgaria
April 23rd, 2026
In person – Michelangelo Hall, Grand Hotel Millennium Sofia
About the Event
Bulgaria’s justice and correctional systems, like others across Europe, face persistent challenges in promoting fair, transparent, and evidence-based decision-making while safeguarding fundamental rights. Within this context, the FAIR-PReSONS project examines how artificial intelligence can be applied responsibly to support a more informed, ethical, and gender-sensitive understanding of recidivism.
The Multiplier Event in Sofia, organised by the Center for the Study of Democracy, brings together Bulgarian legal professionals, justice system practitioners, academics, and researchers to explore how AI-driven tools can support professional reflection and enhance decision-making processes in real-world justice settings.
Special focus will be placed on the Bulgarian context, including patterns of recidivism, data use in criminal justice, and the ethical and legal safeguards required when integrating AI into judicial and correctional practices. Participants will engage with the FAIR-PReSONS tool through a knowledge-sharing session in the morning and a specialised hands-on training in the afternoon, encouraging critical discussion around bias, fairness, accountability, and human oversight.
Through the presentation of project findings and open dialogue, the event aims to support a shared understanding of how Bulgaria can move toward more transparent, responsible, and rights-based uses of AI in justice, aligned with national priorities and European standards.
Agenda
9:30 | Registration and Coffee
10:00 | Opening – Multiplier Event Dimitar Markov, Director of the Law Program, Center for the Study of Democracy
Keynote address Andrey Georgiev, Deputy-Minister of Justice
10:30 | Fair Predictions of Gender-Sensitive Recidivism
11:00 | Recidivism, Criminal Justice and the Role of New Technologies Presenters:
- Irena Genova, Expert, General Directorate “Execution of Sentences”, Ministry of Justice
- Dimitar Markov, Director of the Law Program, Center for the Study of Democracy
- Dr Kalina Georgieva, Assistant Professor, Sofia University “St. Kliment Ohridski”
Discussion Moderator: Dr Maria Yordanova, Senior Fellow, Law Program, Center for the Study of Democracy
12:30 | Lunch Break
13:30 | AI System for Bias-Free Recidivism Risk Assessment – Specialised Training
- Module 1: Application of AI technologies in criminal justice (led by CSD)
- Module 2: Input data for the Bulgarian AI model for recidivism risk assessment (led by CSD)
- Module 3: Code of conduct for legal practitioners on the ethical use of AI tools in criminal justice proceedings (led by CSD)
Discussion
15:45 | Demonstration of an Innovative System for Automated Recidivism Risk Assessment Presenters:
- Dimitar Markov, Director of the Law Program, Center for the Study of Democracy
- Dr Tatyana Novossiolova, Senior Analyst, Law Program, Center for the Study of Democracy
16:30 | Closing
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