Hungary · Overview
The legal system of Hungary
A civil-law system comprehensively rewritten after 2010: a new Fundamental Law in 2011, a new Civil Code in 2013, and a new Code of Civil Procedure in 2016. The constitutional order gives cardinal (two-thirds) statutes a special status, and EU rule-of-law proceedings under Article 7 TEU are part of the live legal context.
Legal tradition
Hungary belongs to the civil law tradition. A civil-law system comprehensively rewritten after 2010: a new Fundamental Law in 2011, a new Civil Code in 2013, and a new Code of Civil Procedure in 2016. The constitutional order gives cardinal (two-thirds) statutes a special status, and EU rule-of-law proceedings under Article 7 TEU are part of the live legal context.
How power is divided
A unicameral parliament dominates: it elects the President, the Curia’s President, the Prosecutor General and the constitutional judges. Judicial administration is split between the National Office for the Judiciary and the elected National Judicial Council.
Where law comes from
- Fundamental Law
- Supreme law, with cardinal statutes immediately beneath it.
- EU law
- Applicable since 2004; precedence within its field.
- International treaties
- Promulgated by statute; Hungary must ensure conformity.
- Acts of Parliament
- Civil Code (Act V of 2013), Criminal Code (Act C of 2012).
- Government and ministerial decrees
- Secondary legislation; reviewable by the courts.
- Curia uniformity decisions
- Binding on all courts to ensure uniform application of law.
The legal profession
Attorneys (ügyvédek) belong to the Hungarian Bar Association after a traineeship and bar examination; notaries hold a public office and conduct non-contentious succession proceedings.
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