Procedural Specifics of Consumer Dispute Resolutions in Slovakia

Abstract

The substantive provisions protecting the consumer in contractual relations belong to the reality of European and Slovak national law, which no one dares to doubt anymore. These norms are of such importance that they have fundamentally influenced the nature of civil law in general. In order for civil procedure to fulfil its basic function in this area, that is, to protect and enforce substantive law and to be a means of protecting subjective rights and legally protected interests, it must 'keep up' with the development of substantive law. Procedural law ensures the fullfilment of consumer rights as well. This article crearly describes the procedural specifics of consumer dispute resolutions in Slovakia. It brings the overview of the system of procedural protection as o whole but also focuses deeper on specifics of consumer disputes in standard civil procedure before general courts. The article also briefly describes the system of alternative dispute resolution for consumer disputes and system of consumer procedural protection in administrative and criminal proceedings.