UPDATE ON THE REGULATION OF SLAPP LAWSUITS

In our previous article, "SLAPP Lawsuits and the Proposed Amendment to the Civil Dispute Procedure Code", we discussed the proposed legislation aimed at introducing specific procedural safeguards into the Slovak legal system to protect against so-called SLAPP lawsuits (Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation).

Since the publication of that article, the legislative process has progressed. On 4 June 2026, the National Council of the Slovak Republic adopted an act amending the Civil Dispute Procedure Code and Act No. 97/1963 Coll. on Private International Law and Procedure. The Act is expected to enter into force on 15 July 2026.

The substance of the proposed reform remains unchanged. The amendment introduces a special procedural regime for public participation cases into the Civil Dispute Procedure Code, implementing Directive (EU) 2024/1069 of the European Parliament and of the Council. Its purpose is to provide procedural protection to natural and legal persons facing manifestly unfounded or abusive court proceedings as a result of their participation in public debate on matters of public interest.