INTRODUCTION disabilities may face when being subjected to cross border proceedings. At the same time, the research includes an assessment of the situation of defendants and detainees with IPD within the national systems in law and practice and the compliance with international, regional and national standards. The present research tries to identify and analyse the relevant legal and policy framework as well as the situation in practice of the defendants and detainees with intellectual and/or psychosocial disabilities (including perpetrators who undergo compulsory treatment) in Bulgaria both in national and cross border proceedings. The research did not find any specific studies or reports about defendants and detainees with IPD in Bulgaria. This is due to the stigma, lack of support services, lack of training of criminal proceedings actors about communication with such defendants and detainees and lack of specific recognition and attention to their specific needs. State authorities do not collect, process and keep data about them. According to official data the persons with diagnosed and monitored psychosocial and intellectual disabilities in Bulgaria are close to 119 000. The present project started by forming a National Advisory Board (NAB). It consists of: Vladislava Carigradska - District Court judge, Dr. Vladimir Velinov - leading forensic psychiatrist, Dr. Cveteslava Gulubova - psychiatrist managing a state psychiatric hospital and functioning as a court expert witness, Boyanka Kornazheva - expert witness psychologist, Dr. Rumen Petrov university professor (psychiatrist as a background) in social work. The NAB met online on 28 April 2022 and marked the main challenges and legislative and practical gaps related to the topic of the project. On 8 June 2022 a national round table organised by the Bulgarian Helsinki Committee in the State Psychiatric Hospital “St. Ivan Rilski” – Novi Iskar took place. It gathered 20 experts – an expert from the Ministry of Labour and Social Policy, two psychiatrists from the National Centre for Public Health and Analysis (subordinated to the Ministry of Healthcare), one Regional Court judge and one District Court judge, a psychiatrist and a psychologist from the Specialised hospital for prisoners in the town of Lovech and the prison in Lovech, a psychiatrist - head of a ward of the State Psychiatric Hospital in Lovech, a manager of an NGO that runs day-care and residential services for persons with IPD, two social workers and a psychiatrist from the hosting psychiatric hospital near Sofia and a human rights lawyer. A team from the Bulgarian Helsinki Committee led, moderated and recorded the discussions of the round table. The present research is based on a desk analysis of international standards, national legislation and policies, data and reports on the practice in the mental health, justice proceedings, penitentiary and probation systems and interviews and round table discussion with professionals involved in all these fields with persons with IPD who committed crimes and were either declared as criminally irresponsible and compulsory treated or were sentenced to imprisonment or probation measures. The desk research started with written requests for access to public information to the Ministry of Justice, the Ministry of Healthcare, the Supreme Cassation Prosecution office, the “Execution of Punishments” Directorate at the Ministry of Justice about staBulgarian Helsinki Committee 9