Nihil Est Tam Inaequale Quam Aequitas Ipsa
The Issue of Confessional Communities in Serbia
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.55073/2021.2.19-32Keywords:
freedom of religion, freedom of association, confessional community, registration of religious organization, registration requirement, Serbia, Law on Churches and Religious CommunitiesAbstract
This study analyses the positions of churches and religious communities in the Serbian legal system. The 2006 Law on Churches and Religious Communities introduced the so-called ‘multi-tier system’, under which there are multiple legal categories of religious organisations. This study analyses the legal position of religious communities that have acquired a legal personality in accordance with socialist legislation, which defines ‘confessional communities’. Some refuse to undergo registration under the new regulations for fear of losing their acquired rights. Special attention was paid to the legal solutions that have attempted to regulate their status more closely, as well as the reasons behind the decision not to allow their automatic registration ex officio.
