THE BIGGEST REFORM OF THE JUDICIARY EFFECTIVE FROM JUNE 1ST 2023, THE SO-CALLED JUDICIAL MAP

#82Are you a potential landowner or heir?

On the June 1st, 2023 a so-called new Judicial Map of the Slovak Republic came into effect. On the basic and most significant change is the increase of the judicial districts. There will be more judges working in the circuit, who will specialize in particular civil, criminal, commercial, and family agendas. This will allow judges to specialize in certain areas, which is expected to result in faster and higher quality decisions. The number of District Courts has also been changed from 36 to 33.

Disputes between citizens and the state will be handled by three new administrative courts - in Banská Bystrica, Košice and Bratislava.

Hearings will also be possible in other public authorities, not only in courts. For example, in the competent Labour, Social Affairs and Family Office. In civil matters, hearings will also be possible online. A party will be able to participate in the proceedings from any place with an online connection.

Another change is the change in the specialisations of regional courts. The number of County Courts remains the same but their specialisation is changing:

Commercial appeals will be handled by three county courts:

• - Bratislava (for the district Bratislava, Trnava and Nitra),
• - Banská Bystrica (for Banská Bystrica, Trenčín and Žilina)
• - Košice (for the Košice and Prešov districts).

Family law appeals will be handled by regional courts:

• - Trnava (for the districts of Trnava, Bratislava and Nitra),
• - Žilina (for the districts of Žilina, Banská Bystrica and Nitra) and
• - Prešov (for the Prešov and Košice districts).

In family law appeals in particular, a rule has been introduced that judges will travel to the county court that is closer to the litigant's district. Cases concerning civil and criminal law will continue to be dealt with by all regional courts, as there are sufficient judges to specialise only in this area.

Another change, is the change from District Courts to Municipal Courts. Bratislava has four municipal courts. The Municipal Court Bratislava I specialises in criminal law, the Municipal Court Bratislava II in family law, the Municipal Court Bratislava III in commercial law and keeps the Commercial Register, and the Municipal Court Bratislava IV in civil law. Košice will have the Košice City Court, which also keeps the Commercial Register.

Please also note the change that affects entrepreneurs in particular. The District Offices Bratislava I-IV have been renamed to Municipal Courts, the commercial law agenda has fallen to the Municipal Court Bratislava III, whose duty is to keep the Commercial Register for the district of the Regional Court in Bratislava, and the Municipal Court Košice, whose duty is to keep the Commercial Register for the district of the Regional Court in Košice. This change affects only the registry courts in Bratislava and Košice. The registry courts in Trnava, Trenčín, Banská Bystrica, Žilina and Prešov remain unchanged.

For example, „ABC s.r.o. is registered in the register of the District Court Bratislava I, Section: Sro, Insert No: 4565/B“ has been changed to „ABC s.r.o. is registered in the register of the Municipal Court Bratislava III, Section: Sro, Insert No: 4565/B“.

Accordingly, please be advised that it is necessary to change the court that keeps the commercial register on invoices, letterheads, stamps, websites....