The Rights of the Child: Croatian National Report

The Republic of Croatia is an independent and sovereign state since 1991. The Marriage and Family Relations Act of 1978, amended in 1989, was the source of family law until 1998 when the Family Act of 1998 entered into force. Legislative activities continued resulting the adoption of a new Family Act in 2003 and later amendments of 2004, 2007, 2011 and 2013. The Ministry of Social Policy and Youth launched in August 2013 public debate on the draft of the (new) Family Act. On the 1st of July 2013, Croatia joined the EU. This report is a summary overview of the positive legislation dealing with the rights of the children, and it is guided by the proposed questionnaire. Due to the continuous modifications in the legislation, there is a lack of a proper “feedback” from jurisprudence and theory, as a proof of how the new legal standards are really implemented in the practice. The rights of the child are primarily determined by the international legal standards, especially the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child of 1989. It is an evident progress especially through the active role of the Ombudsperson for Children in the Republic of Croatia, in the public life and in the detailed reports, which are annually presented in the Croatian Parliament.