CROATIAN MINISTER OF JUSTICE ON CONSTITUTION OF COURTS IN CROATIA

ZAGREB, Jan 16 (Hina) - Croatian Minister of Justice Ivica Crnic explained in his interview that a new system of courts in the Republic of Croatia protects human rights on the four levels. Commenting on the act on the courts and on their jurisdictions adopted at 1993's last session of the Chamber of Representatives Minister Crnic underlined that the system and hierarchical structure of the courts had had to be adjusted to the Constitution of the Republic of Croatia. In conformity with the new law the courts are to be established on the three levels. The courts of the first instance are municipal courts, and there should be 101 such courts in Croatia. On the next level county courts, 21 of them in Croatia, are to be established as appellate courts. The present 14 district courts will continue to function under the new name of the county courts, and another seven such courts will be introduced in this system, according to Croatian Minister of Justice Ivica Crnic. The superior court in this hierarchical structure is the Supreme Court of the Republic of Croatia, the task of which is to guarantee legal security and equality on the entire territory of the Croatian state. Minister Crnic added that there is the Constitutional Court in the Republic of Croatia, which is not in the system of the municipal, county, and the Supreme Court, but its decision can exert influence on this system of judicial courts. The constitution of the courts in Croatia provides that other kinds of courts such as commercial and administrative courts may be created. This act also determines the jurisdiction of the court-martial and military tribunals. In the end of his interview Minister Crnic stressed that there were no radical changes in creating the new system of the courts in Croatia adding that problems which may crop up in functioning of these courts lie not in such constitution and hierarchical but in the fact that there is lack of competent and qualified personnel to discharge duties in the courts. 161714 MET jan 94