TFL Vsebine / Pravni letopis

Zakon o nepravdnem postopku (ZNP-1) je bil objavljen 15. marca 2019, veljati pa je začel 15. aprila 2019, torej natanko dve leti po uveljavitvi Družinskega zakonika. Večji del sprememb in novosti je bil namenjen procesni ureditvi postopkov za ureditev osebnih stanj in družinskih razmerij. Zakon je zagotovil učinkovitejše varstvo pravic otrok. Z uveljavitvijo nove zakonodaje so bile pristojnosti za odločanje o varstvu koristi otrok v celoti prenesene s centrov za socialno delo na sodišča. Nepravdni postopek je zagotovo najprimernejši postopek za urejanje družinskih razmerij. Dopušča več prožnosti, zaradi varstva koristi otrok pa mora sodišče po uradni dolžnosti ukreniti vse, da se zavarujejo pravice in pravni interesi otroka, kar sodišču nalaga posebno odgovornost. Dejansko stanje in razmerje se med postopkom spreminjata, kdaj bo zadeva zrela za odločitev, pa ni mogoče vselej naprej predvideti. Krog udeležencev v nepravdnem postopku je širok in se med postopkom lahko spreminja, posebno pozornost pa sodišče namenja otroku in njegovemu položaju v postopku. Center za socialno delo ima pomembno vlogo v postopkih. Nekatera odprta vprašanja so v letih od uveljavitve zakona že dobila odgovor v sodni praksi sodišč. V prihodnje bi bilo smiselno zakonsko urediti poseben institut, ki bi omogočal, da sodišče med postopkom družinsko razmerje začasno uredi, kadar je to očitno v korist otroka, pa zadeva še ni zrela za odločitev. Prav tako bo treba obravnavati vprašanje usposobljenosti kolizijskih skrbnikov. Zaradi narave družinskih postopkov so z zakonom predpisani kratki roki, zaradi česar bo treba še večjo pozornost nameniti zagotovitvi odločanja v časovno predvidenih okvirih.

The Slovenian Non-Contentious Civil Procedure Act (ZNP-1) was published on 15 March 2019 and entered into force on 15 April 2019, exactly two years after the adoption of the Family Code. Most of its amendments and innovations concern the procedural regulation of cases relating to personal status and family relations. The Act has ensured more effective protection of children’s rights. With the enactment of the new legislation, jurisdiction over decisions concerning the protection of the best interests of the child was fully transferred from social work centres to the courts. The non-contentious procedure is undoubtedly the most appropriate framework for resolving family matters. It allows greater flexibility and, in order to protect the child’s best interests, requires the court to act ex officio to safeguard the rights and legitimate interests of the child—an obligation that places particular responsibility on the court. The factual circumstances and family dynamics often change during proceedings, making it difficult to predict when a case will be ripe for decision. The circle of participants in non-contentious proceedings is broad and may vary throughout the process; special attention is devoted to the child and his or her position in the proceedings. The social work centre plays an important role in these cases. Certain open questions have already been clarified through judicial practice since the Act entered into force. In the future, it would be appropriate to introduce a specific legal mechanism allowing the court to temporarily regulate family relations during proceedings when this is clearly in the child’s best interest but the case is not yet ready for a final decision. It will also necessary to address the issue of the training and qualifications of guardians ad litem. Given the nature of family proceedings and the short statutory time limits prescribed by the Act, greater emphasis should be placed on ensuring that decisions are delivered within the envisaged time frames.

The Implementation of the Non-Contentious Civil Procedure Act (ZNP-1) in Family Matters: Insights from Judicial Practice