Vrhovni Sud Republike Hrvatske
Date of establishment: 22.12.1990
Address and e-mail of the court:
TRG NIKOLE ŠUBIĆA ZRINSKOG 3
10000 ZAGREB
CROATIA (HRVATSKA)
Website:
http://www.vsrh.hr/EasyWeb.asp?pcpid=11
Link to the national database of their case law: http://sudskapraksa.vsrh.hr/supra/
The Supreme Court of the Republic of Croatia is the highest court which ensures the uniform application of law and equal justice to all
What does the court decide about:
• ensuring the uniform application of the law, the equality of citizens and the equality of all before the law
• on extraordinary legal remedy against final decisions of courts in Croatia in criminal and civil cases and on regular legal remedy in criminal and civil cases when provided for by particular acts of law
• disputes on competence when provided for by particular acts of law
• protection of the right to trial within a reasonable period when provided for by the Law on Courts
• issues of current judicial practice
• the need for the professional training of judges, judicial advisors and apprentices
• other tasks as provided for by law.
The principals of procedure:
Principals of procedure are stipulated within the Criminal Procedure Act and the Civil Procedure Act which are in accordance with the general principles of the European legal system
The number of justices and panels:
There are 43 Supreme Court justices.
The Supreme Court has a Civil Law and Criminal Law Department in which 8 to 10 panels are established in total.
How are the justices appointed:
Decisions on the appointment of justices are made by the National Judicial Council of the Republic of Croatia independently and impartially, based on criteria set out in the Constitution and by law.
Judges in general may be appointed from among Croatian citizens who have completed university graduate studies of law, have passed the Bar Exam and possess work experience as required by the Law on Courts, expertise and demonstrated work competence.
Appointments to serve as a justice of the Supreme Court are open to persons who have worked at least fifteen years as judicial officials or have worked for an equal period as an attorney or notary public, or as a university professor of legal sciences that has passed the Bar Exam and has at least twenty years of work experience through which they have demonstrated their expertise in an area of law and through expert and research papers.