WORKING GROUP FOR DRAFTING
THE FAMILY LAW OF THE REPUBLIC OF SRPSKA
November 2021 – June 2022
The working group for the drafting of the new Family Law of the Republic of Srpska began its work in November 2021, and ended its mandate in June 2022. The group’s work is part of a project implemented by the Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Srpska with the law faculties of the University of Banja Luka and East Sarajevo with the support of UNICEF. It consisted of representatives of the Bar Association of the Republic of Srpska, the Notary Chamber of the Republic of Srpska, the Ministry of Justice, the Ministry of Family, Youth and Sports, the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, representatives of the academic community, the Association of Social Workers, and non-governmental organizations.
The Bar Association of the Republic of Srpska was represented in this working group by Jovana Pušac, PhD, Attorney at Law. Due to her advocacy, as well as the advocacy of the leadership of this Association provisions on the so-called notarial divorce are omitted. Namely, the intention of the Chamber of Notaries of the Republika Srpska was to include in the text of the future Family Law of the Republika Srpska provisions on the alternative competence of notaries for consensual divorce. The aforementioned provisions existed for some time in the working text of the Preliminary Draft, but were ultimately omitted in the final text.
The new Family Law of the Republic of Srpska came into force on September 1th, 2023.