Canon Law and the Croatian Legal System (II). Codex Iuris Canonici and Contemporary Croatian Law

Četiri međunarodna ugovora sklopljena između Svete Stolice i Republike Hrvatske kao nadzakonski akti, a posebice Ugovor između Svete Stolice i Republike Hrvatske o pravnim pitanjima, u znatno se većoj mjeri referiraju na kanonsko pravo (ius canonicum) kao pravni sustav mjerodavan za uređenje pojedinih pravnih odnosa nego što je to slučaj s tuzemnim ugovorima između Vlade Republike Hrvatske i pojedinih vjerskih zajednica. Štoviše, već u samom uvodu spomenutog ugovora navodi se i kanonsko pravo kao jedan od njegovih pravnih temelja. Sami tekstovi spomenutih ugovora govore o “kanonskom pravu”, “crkvenom zakonodavstvu”, “crkvenim zakonima” ili “crkvenim propisima”, odnosno pojedinim institutima kanonskog prava (“kanonska ženidba”, “kanonske kaznene mjere”, “kanonski mandat”). Sukladno navedenim činjenicama, autor istražuje u kojoj mjeri Zakonik kanonskog prava (Codex Iuris Canonici, CIC) iz 1983., ta nedvojbeno najvažnija religijska pravna kodifikacija u svjetskim razmjerima, predstavlja kao cjelina relevantan konceptualni i normativni zajednički okvir za sve odredbe spomenutih međunarodnih ugovora koje se pozivaju na kanonsko pravo ili na pojedine njegove institute. Slijedeći sustav CIC-a po pojedinim knjigama, autor raščlanjuje pojedinačne odredbe navedenih međunarodnih ugovora koje su uvele u hrvatski pravni sustav čitav niz instituta kanonskog prava kao normativno relevantan. Pri tome se upućuje i na temeljnu hrvatsku kanonističku literaturu o problematici koja će se prikazati te se posebice istražuje postojeća praksa hrvatskih državnih sudova glede primjene pojedinih kanona CIC-a, ističući kako dobre primjere takve primjene odredaba kanonskog prava, tako i kritički raščlanjujući pojedine slučajeve u kojima sudovi nisu ponajbolje shvatili te primijenili pojedine aspekte kanonskog prava.This article analyzes the relationship between canon law as the legal system of the Catholic Church, to which a majority of Croatian citizens belong, and the Croatian legal system, focusing on the issue of canon law (ius canonicum) as a source of law in the Croatian legal system on the basis of concordatarian law (ius concordatarium), i.e. the four international treaties between the Holy See and the Republic of Croatia. As regards canon law, in this contribution the author takes into account only its most important source: the Code of Canon Law (Codex Iuris Canonici – CIC) of 1983, the undoubtedly most important codification of religious law in the world. Following the systematization of CIC into seven books, the author highlights particular provisions of the said treaties, which introduced into the Croatian legal system a series of institutes and provisions of canon law as binding normative contents. In addition, the author concludes that the Code represents a relevant conceptual and normative common framework for all provisions of the international treaties between the Holy See and the Republic of Croatia based on canon law or its institutes. To be more precise, a closer analysis of the provisions of the treaties between the Holy See and the Republic of Croatia leads to the conclusion that CIC has, in its totality, become a relevant source of law in the Croatian legal system. The author also refers to relevant Croatian scholarly literature on canon law, and in particular to the case-law of Croatian state courts which involves the application of certain canons of the Code, pointing out good examples of such application, and providing a critical view of particular cases in which, in the author\u27s opinion, the courts made certain errors in the interpretation and application of some aspects of canon law. Finally, the research suggests that the significance of canon law, particularly Codex iuris canonici as its primary source, in the Croatian legal system is undoubtedly increasing, which is why its deeper understanding both by legal doctrine and by the legal practice is becoming a necessity