The Never-ending (or Just Overly Lengthy) Journey to Private Law Reform in the Slovak Republic
Denisa Dulaková
Prof. JUDr., PhD. Professor at the Institute of Private Law of the Pan-European University, Faculty of Law; Member of the commission for recodification of private law in 2008-2015 and since 2024 member of the current recodification commission, tasked with the preparation of a draft of the paragraphed wording of selected contract types.
This paper examines the ongoing process of private law recodification in the Slovak Republic, which, unlike in many other post-socialist countries in Central and Eastern Europe, has yet to yield a modern and comprehensive legal framework. Despite the consistent proclamations by successive Slovak governments, none have managed to advance civil law recodification to the extent necessary to resolve divergences in opinion – particularly on the so-called “value issues” – and deliver the long-anticipated Civil Code. The current government, like its predecessors, highlights the need for recodification within its official program. Whether these efforts contribute to an interminable or simply protracted path toward reform remains to be seen, hopefully in the near future.
Keywords: Codification; decodification; recodification; private law
