Business law in Croatia

Legal Framework

Independence of Justice

The judicial system suffers from numerous problems, most notably inefficiency. Judicial personnel shortages have led to a huge backlog of cases, though it decreased in the last years. Excessive trial length and a lack of enforcement of judicial decisions, especially in cases related to the repossession of property owned by Serbs, plague the system. Despite some improvements, a lack of impartiality among the local courts remains a problem.

Equal Treatment of Nationals and Foreigners

Yes, the law prohibits discrimination based on gender, age, race, disability, language, or social status. However, some cases of discrimination against women, ethnic Serbs, and Roma are still reported.

The Language of Justice

Official language also in justice is Croatian. The exception are officially recognized ethnical minorities: Serbs, Bosnians, Italians, Hungarians, Albanians, Slovenes and Rumanians. They have right to use their language in the local courts where their minority rights are officially recognized.

Sources of the Law and Legal Similarities

The main source of the law is the constitution of 1990 (revised in 2001) which is based on civil law system. However, the Croatian legislation has been widely harmonizing with the EU legislation.

Checking National Laws Online

Official Gazette of Croatia publishing all legislation (in Croatian only).