Courts: Mandatory application of e-communication in all courts has begun

On April 20, 2020, the Ministry of Justice issued a decision on eligibility for electronic communications in all municipal courts, all county courts and the High Commercial Court of the Republic of Croatia.

This is a crucial decision for the functioning of the justice system, especially in times of social distancing due to the Covid-19 crisis, for the following reasons:

• e-communication is now mandatory for all municipal courts, county courts and the High Commercial Court, which means that courts are obliged to use e-communication and are required to stop sending paper mail, which should significantly speed up delivery time and security, as well as reducing the administrative costs of the justice system;
• rom now on e-communication is obligatory for all so-called external users, i.e. all government bodies, public prosecutors, attorneys, notaries, court experts, court appraisers, court interpreters, bankruptcy administrators, trustees and all legal entities, meaning that those entities can no longer file claims, appeals, filings and other paperwork with the courts.

The Ministry of Justice is expected to publish the said decision on its web site soon, and the news has been published by the Croatian Bar Association:

http://www.hok-cba.hr/sites/default/files/odluka_o_ispunjenju_tehnickih_uvjeta_opcinski_sudovi_zupanijski_sudovi_visoki_trgovacki_sud_rh_2.pdf