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General information about the judiciary in Slovenia

In Slovenia, the government is divided into 3 branches of power, which ensure the proper functioning of the state and keep each other in check by means of established mechanisms. The main purpose of this arrangement is to guarantee mutual independence and balance between the branches, while at the same time preventing abuses of power.

Witness – civil proceedings

As a witness in a civil case, you are summoned to court to provide information about a specific event and thereby help the court solve the case.

Witness – criminal proceedings

As a witness in a criminal case, you are summoned to court to provide information about a specific event and thereby help the court solve the case.

Court, courtroom and interview room

The court operates in premises known as the courthouse. Main hearings and other hearings generally take place in courtrooms. Interviews with children, who are considered vulnerable participants in court proceedings, may be carried out in specially adapted interview rooms.

Legal aid

If a person cannot afford to cover the costs of proceedings and attorney's fees due to their financial situation, they may be eligible for legal aid. This means that the state will provisionally provide for the costs of the person's legal proceedings from its budget.

Mediation

Mediation is a voluntary, confidential, fast, and effective way to resolve disputes, where the parties work together with a mediator (a neutral person) to try to reach an amicable solution.

Criminal proceedings

The objective of criminal proceedings is to impose an appropriate sanction on the perpetrator of a criminal offence if they have committed it and have been proven to be criminally responsible for it.

Minor offences

In minor offence proceedings, the court rules on the liability for minor offences and the imposition of sanctions, requests for judicial protection against decisions made in misdemeanour proceedings by minor offence authorities, the revocation of driving licenses, the imposition of substitute imprisonment, and imposing community service as an alternative to the payment of a fine and legal costs.

Contentious proceedings

In contentious proceedings, the court rules on disputes between parties which may concern various matters such as the payment of compensation, payment of obligations under a contract, delivery of objects, eviction, ownership of property, and more.

Children in court

Being involved in court proceedings, even just as a witness, can be stressful. The most vulnerable group in this regard are children. Because of their sensitivity and vulnerability, it is crucial to minimise the potential negative impact of court proceedings on a child's development.

Family proceedings

Matters relating to marriage, children, family, the protection of the best interests of the child and measures to prevent domestic violence are handled by district courts in adapted, non-contentious proceedings.

Inheritance proceedings

In inheritance proceedings, the court determines who the heirs of the deceased are, what property constitutes the deceased's estate and what parts of the estate are to be given to the heirs and other persons.

Guardianship of adults

The purpose of guardianship of adults is to protect persons who are unable to defend their own property rights and interests.

Enforcement

If someone does not voluntarily pay back a debt or fulfil other obligations, the court can help recover the debt using enforcement.

Enforcement against immovable property

Creditors can request enforcement against a debtor's immovable property as part of the application for enforcement or, later on, as a separate means of enforcement.

Entry in the land register

In the process of registration in the land register, the court decides on the registration of immovable property rights in the land register, taking into account the proposal for the registration of a right in the land register, any accompanying documents and the situation when the proposal is received.

Labour dispute

The aim of a labour dispute is to resolve a dispute between an employee and an employer in court.

Personal bankruptcy and debt write-off

Personal bankruptcy is a proceeding involving enforcement against a debtor's property. The primary objective of personal bankruptcy proceedings is to sell all the debtor's assets that are available for sale, including assets held by the debtor at the start of the proceedings and those acquired during the proceedings, also referred to as the bankruptcy estate. The proceeds generated from the sale of these assets are then used to repay creditors in equal shares. If the proceeds are not enough to cover all the debts, the debtor may be able to have their remaining debt written off.

About the authors

The animations on the judiciary and court proceedings were produced between 2018 and 2023.

The project management and content issues were handled by the members of the Procedural Justice task force at the Supreme Court: mag. Jaša Vrabec (project head), Nina Planinšek, Irena Primožič and Tine Stegovec. Special thanks are also due to the judges and court staff of courts of all instances who participated in the preparation and review of the animations.

The script, graphics and animation were provided by teams of external contractors:

Renderspace d.o.o.

• Žiga Vraničar (project head)
• Julija Somrak (script)
• Rok Klemenčič (graphics, animation)

Ideaz d.o.o.

• Katja Kotnik (project head, script)
• Katja Špoljar (script)
• Dea Biličič (graphics, animation)