The Assembly of the Republic of Kosovo has voted for the first time on the approval of the Law on Private International Law. The law establishes:
- Rules for the determination of the applicable law in respect of private law relations having an international element;
- Rules on jurisdiction of courts and other authorities of the Republic of Kosovo with respect to the said relations;
- Rules of procedure;
- Rules on the recognition and enforcement of foreign judgments and of decisions of other authorities of foreign states.
The law, which is partially in compliance with a couple of EU regulations, is of significant importance for the Republic of Kosovo because it allows for efficient civil judicial cooperation across national borders, and given the fact that a large number of Kosovo citizens live abroad, this law was crucial to incorporate a set of rules governing cross-border legal disputes between private citizens and other private entities.
These legal disputes could range from:
- Which court has jurisdiction to hear a case;
- Which country’s law should be determined to decide a legal dispute;
- Whether judgments made in a foreign country can be recognised and enforced in a different country;
- A wide range of other disputes concerning civil law.