Law of Serbia

Serbian law belongs to the Germanic branch of the continental civil law tradition and is built on written statutes rather than case precedent; Serbia was the fourth modern European country, after France, Austria and the Netherlands, to adopt a codified legal system. Its sources of law rank, in order, the Constitution and constitutional acts, ratified international treaties, laws adopted by the National Assembly, decisions of the Constitutional Court striking down unconstitutional laws, and derived legislation such as government decrees, ministerial decisions and local ordinances. Legal regulations take effect once published in the Official Gazette of the Republic of Serbia, though a later effective date can be set, and the legal system divides into branches covering civil, criminal, administrative, family and labor law.