Stefan Milev, a former prosecutor, has been appointed as chair of the Sofia Regional Court, Bulgarian media report.

Milev has garnered a narrow majority of 8 to 3 members of the judges' college at the Supreme Judicial Council, the judiciary's top decisionmaking body.

Milev will head Bulgaria's busiest court ad interim, after Metodi Lalov stepped down and is leaving office on Wednesday.

Milev, who became a judge with the Sofia City Court last year, meets resistance from part of the council, which preferred Albena Boteva, but she was rejected by the majority, with the move triggering protests of other judges earlier in January.