On 14 December 2016 Dr Ekaterina Trendafilova was appointed the first President of the Specialist Chambers. A press release informs that after the independent Selection Panel submitted its recommendation, the Appointing Authority, Ms. Alexandra Papadopoulou, Head of the EULEX Mission in Kosovo, formally appointed the President.

President Trendafilova (1953) is a distinguished judge, lawyer and academic from Bulgaria with extensive experience in international criminal law, criminal law, criminal procedural law and human rights law. She served as a Judge of the International Criminal Court (ICC) from 2006 to 2015. Prior to the appointment to the ICC she was a professor of criminal justice at the Sofia University, Deputy District Attorney at the Sofia District Court and provided expert opinion in criminal law and human rights standards to the Bulgarian Parliament, Supreme Court and number of Bulgarian ministries.

Upon her appointment, President Trendafilova stated: “I am truly honoured to have been appointed as the first President of the Kosovo Specialist Chambers. At this decisive moment in the early existence of the Specialist Chambers, I feel privileged to have been entrusted with the leadership task. I recognize the immense responsibility to ensure that the Specialist Chambers apply the best judicial practices and deliver fair and impartial justice for those brought to account, as well as the victims of the crimes allegedly committed. I intend to accomplish this mission independently, with determination, vigour and to the very best of my abilities. It is vital that we implement our mandate in an efficient, professional and secure manner.”

The President of the Specialist Chambers is responsible for the judicial administration of the Specialist Chambers and other functions conferred upon her by the Law. The President also serves as presiding judge on Supreme Court Panel of the Specialist Chambers.

President Trendafilova has been appointed for a term of four years and is to be deployed as of January 2017.