The legal system of Slovakia
A civil-law system that kept the 1964 Czechoslovak Civil Code — unlike Czechia, which replaced its own in 2014 — while recodifying civil procedure in 2016 into three separate codes. The euro has been legal tender since 2009, and a 2020 judicial-map reform reorganised the courts.
Legal tradition
Slovakia belongs to the civil law tradition. A civil-law system that kept the 1964 Czechoslovak Civil Code — unlike Czechia, which replaced its own in 2014 — while recodifying civil procedure in 2016 into three separate codes. The euro has been legal tender since 2009, and a 2020 judicial-map reform reorganised the courts.
How power is divided
A single-chamber parliament, a directly elected President with a weak veto, and a Constitutional Court whose thirteen judges are appointed by the President from a parliamentary list.
Where law comes from
- Constitution
- Includes the catalogue of fundamental rights.
- EU law
- Applicable since 2004; precedence within its field.
- International treaties
- Human-rights treaties rank above statute under Article 7(5).
- Statutes
- Civil Code (40/1964), Criminal Code (300/2005), the 2016 procedure codes.
- Government regulations and decrees
- Issued to implement statutes.
The legal profession
Advocates (advokáti) are regulated by the Slovak Bar Association after a traineeship and examination; notaries and enforcement officers (exekútori) are separate chambers.
Law by topic in Slovakia
- Constitutional LawA 1992 constitution whose amendments the court cannot reviewThe Constitution of 1992 contains its own bill of rights. The Constitutional Court in Košice reviews statutes and hears individual complaints, but held in 2019 that it lacks jurisdiction over constitutional amendments themselves after striking down a judicial-vetting amendment.
- Family LawFamily Act divorce with mandatory child arrangementsThe 2005 Family Act governs marriage, parentage and maintenance. Divorce requires the court to find that relations are seriously disturbed and permanently broken, and the court must simultaneously decide custody and maintenance for minor children.
- Immigration & NationalityEU free movement with temporary residence tied to purposeEU citizens move freely. Third-country nationals apply under the 2011 Act on the Residence of Foreigners for temporary residence tied to a specific purpose such as employment, business or study, with permanent residence generally after five years.
- Human RightsConstitutional rights, the ECHR and a public defenderRights are set out in the Constitution itself rather than a separate charter. Slovakia has been party to the ECHR since 1993, and the Public Defender of Rights may petition the Constitutional Court to review legislation that infringes rights.
- Tax Law19% and 25% income tax with eKasa cash-register reportingPersonal income tax is 19% up to a threshold and 25% above it, with a higher band added for very high incomes. Corporate tax is 21%, reduced for small taxpayers, and every cash sale must be reported live to the Financial Administration through eKasa.
- Civil ProcedureThree 2016 procedure codes and private enforcementCivil procedure was recodified in 2016 into three separate codes for contentious, non-contentious and administrative matters. Enforcement is carried out by private bailiffs, with cases allocated by a central random assignment system since 2017.
- Business & CorporateCommercial Code companies with a public-sector partners registerThe 1991 Commercial Code governs companies, with the s.r.o. requiring EUR 5,000 of capital. Anyone contracting with the state must be entered in the register of public sector partners, disclosing the ultimate beneficial owner.
- Property & LandCadastre registration with separate building and land ownershipOwnership is registered in the cadastre of real estate and passes on registration. Unlike Czechia, Slovakia retained the possibility of separate ownership of a building and the land beneath it, a frequent source of practical complication.
- Criminal Law2005 Criminal Code with a specialised anti-corruption courtThe Criminal Code of 2005 introduced a three-strikes rule for repeat serious offenders. Corruption, organised crime and offences by senior officials are tried by the Specialised Criminal Court in Pezinok, and a contested 2024 amendment reduced several penalties and abolished the Special Prosecutor's Office.
- Employment & LabourLabour Code with severance stacked on noticeThe 2001 Labour Code allows dismissal only on listed grounds. Notice runs from one to three months by length of service, and an employee dismissed for redundancy is generally entitled to severance in addition to notice or in lieu of it.
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