New Act on International Judicial Cooperation in Criminal Matters

On 4 June 2026, the National Council of the Slovak Republic adopted Act No. 167/2026 Coll. on International Judicial Cooperation in Criminal Matters. The Act represents a comprehensive reform aimed at consolidating, streamlining and modernising the legal framework governing cross-border cooperation between Slovak authorities and the authorities of other states, Member States of the European Union, as well as European and international bodies.

Alongside this Act, Act No. 168/2026 Coll., amending and supplementing certain acts in connection with the adoption of the Act on International Judicial Cooperation in Criminal Matters, was also adopted. This accompanying legislation introduces amendments to a number of legal regulations reflecting the adoption of the new legal framework. Most provisions of the Act on International Judicial Cooperation in Criminal Matters will enter into force on 1 January 2028, while certain amendments introduced by Act No. 168/2026 Coll. will become effective earlier, on 18 August 2026.

Until now, the legal framework for international judicial cooperation in criminal matters has been based primarily on Part Five of the Slovak Code of Criminal Procedure, entitled "International Cooperation", as well as on a number of special acts adopted mainly in connection with the Slovak Republic's membership in the European Union. According to the explanatory memorandum, however, the gradual increase in the number of special legislative instruments has resulted in a fragmented and less transparent legal framework. At the same time, European Union legal instruments were not transposed in a uniform manner, leading to inconsistencies in terminology and practical difficulties in their application.

The new Act therefore constitutes more than a mere amendment to the existing legislation. It establishes a comprehensive and autonomous procedural framework governing international judicial cooperation in criminal matters. The Act incorporates and substantially revises the provisions previously contained in Part Five of the Code of Criminal Procedure, which is repealed in connection with the adoption of the new legislation. The Code of Criminal Procedure will continue to apply only on a subsidiary basis, that is, where the new Act does not provide for a specific procedural rule.