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The author of this paper analyses the legal position of cohabitation partners with regard to succession as defined in contemporary European jurisdictions, focusing on the significant differences that may be observed concerning various aspects of their succession regulations. The author argues that although there is a whole range of different rules dealing with the succession of cohabitation partners, which certainly are an obstacle on the path to their alignment within EU, the mechanisms adopted in the studied jurisdictions do seem to go in the direction of unification of this area of private law, too. Nevertheless, given the particular character of this area of law and the relationships that it regulates, such unification shall - in author's opinion - take longer time than it is required for some other areas of law. At the same time, it is the author's belief that the factual cohabitation as it exists in domestic law, with its shortcomings herein presented, should not be recognised as a ground for legal succession, whilst, provided there is a revision of the concept of cohabitation in domestic law reflected in addition of the requirement of its registration, the domestic law should consider introducing the mutual legal succession between cohabitation partners. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The author focuses on inheritance position that relatives, spouse and concubinage partner as intestate successors have in the laws of the countries of the former Yugoslavia (Serbia, Slovenia, Macedonia and Montenegro) as well as the entity of Bosnia and Herzegovina - the Republic of Srpska law, in cases when a corrective to ordinary rules of succession in certain intestacy classes applies, that is in case of application of the so-called exceptions to the rules of intestacy. The importance given to the fact of kinship (that is, the particular category of kins), marriage and concubinage in each of these laws may be observed based on the way each of these laws approach the regulation of a number of questions related to this issue, from the circle of heirs whose intestacy share can be increased or decreased, the existence of reciprocity in terms of the possibility to increase or decrease the shares of intestate successors covered by this possibility, as well as regarding the particular way (in terms of the type of inheritance authority) and the possible scope of increasing or decreasing the share of a particular heir. Therefore, all of these questions present the subject of analysis of this study which aims to determine the intensity of the changes in the hereditary position of certain intestate successors with respect to the one that they have upon application of the ordinary rules of intestacy (which was a subject of analysis of the previous article) in each of these laws. The purpose of the study is also to point out the advantages and some of the remaining weaknesses of the existing legal provisions in the relevant laws, and ultimately, to note the different and similar or even identical solutions adopted by the mentioned group of legislations in regulating this matter. In the sense of the forthcoming Civil Code of Serbia, author emphasizes certain changes regarding the regulation of some important issues in the domestic law. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The subject of the author's analysis is the issue of legal protection of pet animals. Through analysis of applicable provisions contained in the Act on Animal Welfare of Serbia, on one hand, and the fundamental principles and provisions set out in the European Convention for the Protection of Pet animals, on the other hand, this paper attempts to point out the degree of legal protection that pet animals are awarded under domestic legal regulations, as well as to answer the question of compatibility of the national legislation with the international standards set out in the mentioned European Convention regarding the above mentioned question. In addition, since the legal protection of pet animals is also regulated by relevant by-laws in our law, the analysis of certain aspects of protection provided to pet animals, specifically the Decision of the city of Novi Sad on keeping of domesticated animals, the paper attempts to draw attention to compliance of the solutions adopted in this legal act, with the fundamental principles of protection, provided to pets by laws or the Act on Animal Welfare of Serbia. Finally, in order to provide a more comprehensive insight in terms of achievement of the legal protection of pets in Serbian law, the paper analyzes the types of unlawful conduct of the owner or the holder of the animals, as well as their respective sanctioning prescribed in specific laws or bylaws. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a certain continuation of the previous paper in which we pointed out the specificities of legal regulations regarding intestacy in former socialist countries, the subject matter of the present paper are statutory legal regulations as basis to claim inheritance in the remaining European countries, more specifically the countries of the former SFRY. Namely, it is our surrounding countries, (Slovenia, Croatia, Macedonia and Monte Negro) that are inevitably analysed in comparative overview of intestacy. The reason for this is the long period of common development of inheritance law, as well as the need to clearly observe the similarities and certain differences in respect of our subject matter in the laws of these countries after the dissolution of SFRY. The law of Republic of Srpska, as an entity of Bosnia and Hercegovina is also an integral part of this comparative overview. Its importance to be included in this study emerges from the above-mentioned reasons of necessity to study legal regulations of our neighbouring countries, as well as from the fact that serbian people live in this entity. The comparative legal method what was used in this study enables us to observe not only the differences, but also the mutual solutions and general legal principles which this group of European legislatures is governed by when regulating the rules of intestacy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]