Freedom of Conscience and Religion in the Family and Criminal Law of the Slovak Republic

Abstract

Freedom of conscience and religion is one of the most important areas of legal protection, reflecting a high level of both culture and democratization for contemporary states. This is especially significant for the countries of the former Eastern Bloc, which experienced decades of totalitarianism under socialist regimes. The protection of conscience and religious rights is always reflected in several sources of law, commencing with the constitution, and this is also the case of the Slovak Republic. The constitutional rights in this area were reflected also in other branches of law, such as family law, covering the private integrity of every individual, and criminal law, which deals with the most serious violations of legal norms. This study discusses the elements of state religious law contained in the family and criminal law of the Slovak Republic, starting with the nation’s older legal regulations.