Defendants (criminal proceedings)

These factsheets explain what happens when a person is suspected of or accused of a crime which is dealt with by a trial in court. For information on minor offences like road traffic offences, which are usually dealt with by a fixed penalty like a fine, go to Factsheet 5. If you are the victim of a crime, you can find full information about your rights here.

Summary of the criminal process

The following is a summary of the normal stages in the criminal process in the Slovak Republic:

The pre-trial process consists of the following stages:

Prior to criminal prosecution;
Investigation (preparatory proceedings).

The trial process consists of the following stages:

Preliminary review and examination of the indictment;
Main trial;
Appeal;
Appeal to the Supreme Court;
Reopening of the case and other legal options;
Execution process that is carrying out the sentence.

Click on the links below to find the information that you need

1 – Getting legal advice

2 – My rights during the investigation process

Launching of an investigation and bringing charges
Questioning of the defendant
Detention and arrest (including the European Arrest Warrant)
Being taken into custody and release
Course of the investigation
Completion of the investigation

3 – My rights during the trial

4 – My rights after the trial

5 – Road traffic offences

Last update: 18/05/2020

The national language version of this page is maintained by the respective Member State. The translations have been done by the European Commission service. Possible changes introduced in the original by the competent national authority may not be yet reflected in the translations. The European Commission accepts no responsibility or liability whatsoever with regard to any information or data contained or referred to in this document. Please refer to the legal notice to see copyright rules for the Member State responsible for this page.