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Basic Rules of the Jugoslav Law Concerning Nationality

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  04 May 2017

J. Peritch*
Affiliation:
University of Belgrade

Extract

The State of the Serbs, Croats and Slovenes, or the State of Jugoslavia, is one of the creations of the World War (1914-1918). It is composed of the former Kingdoms of Serbia and Montenegro, of the Southern Slavic provinces belonging to the former Austro-Hungarian Monarchy (see the Treaties of Peace of St. Germain of September 10, 1919, and of Trianon of June 4,1920), and of a certain part of the Bulgarian territory (see the Treaty of Neuilly of November 27, 1919). The Jugoslav State was founded by the Pact of Union of December 1, 1918 n.s. (signed at Belgrade, capital of the former state of Serbia, and now capital of Jugoslavia) and was subsequently recognized by the Treaties of Peace (1919-1920) which liquidated the World War, a3 well as by the neutrals.1 It secured its Constitution on June 28, 1921, whereby the State of Jugoslavia was to be a monarchy, in its nature constitutional (with the Karageorgevitch dynasty), parliamentary (of the unicameral type) and hereditary.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © American Society of International Law 1930

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References

1 By Turkey the State of Jugoslavia was not recognized until the conclusion of the Treaty of Angora of February 5, 1926, between the two states. Jugoslavia has not yet acceded to the Treaty of Lausanne of July 24, 1923, which took the place of the Treaty of Sevres of August 10, 1920.

2 Especially in our articles “ Einheitsstaat oder Bundesstaat in Juogslavien? ”; published in the Neue Zürcher Zeitung, Zurich, Switzerland, 1922, and “ Die politische Fortentwicklung des jugoslawischen Staales,” published in the same journal, 1928.

3 Concerning the character of the Jugoslav State, one school of opinion holds that both from the foreign point of view (internationallaw) and from the domestic point of view it is not a new state but rather the old Kingdom of Serbia aggrandized by annexations. According to a second school of opinion, Jugoslavia is a new state only from the domestic pointof view, while from the foreign standpoint it is the State of Serbia aggrandized. Finally, according to a third school, to which we ourselves adhere, the Jugoslav State isa new state both from the point of view of international law and from the point of view of the internal public law of Jugoslavia. On the genesis of the Jugoslav State see our study “ Principauxtraits caractéristiquesde la Constitution du Royaume des Serbes,Croateset Slovènes (Yougoslavie) du 28 juin, 1921,” lectures given in the Faculty of Law of the University of Paris, May, 1928. Extract from the Revue du Droit, de la Legislation et de la Jurisprudence, Paris (1928-1929), from the Bulletin mensuel de la Société de Législation comparée de France, Paris (1928-1929), and from the Revue Internationale de Sodologie, Paris (1928).

4 The judicial function is exercised by courts whose judges have no permanent tenure.

5 Beginning with January 1, 1919, the new (Gregorian) calendar was applied to the entire State of Jugoslavia. The old (Julian) calendar has remained only in the Orthodox (Greek) Christian Church.

6 These conditions are so numerous and in many cases so difficult, not to say impossible, of accomplishment (e.g., that of the previous execution of all obligations, public as well as private. Arts. 23 and 24), that in reality they are frequently tantamount to a practical frustration of the right to abandon Jugoslav nationality, a right guaranteed by Art. 22 of the Law. On this subject see our studies: “ Le Droit international privé dans la Constitution du Royaume des Serbes, Croates et Slovènes (Yougoslavie) ” , in Revue de Droit international privé, Paris, 1926, pp. 370-373; also Le Droit international privé en Yougoslavie“ in Bulletin d2e I'Institut intermédiaire international, The Hague, 1926, pp. 234-235.

7 We have endeavored to give a more extended comparison of the European system and the American system in our article “ Nationalité et mariage” in the Retme de Droit international, Geneva, 1927.

8 At present there are in existence a GeneralJugoslav Penal Code of January 27, 1929, published in the Jugoslav official journal of February 9,1929, and a General Jugoslav Code of Penal Procedure of February 16,1929, published in the Jugoslav official journal ofFebruary 26,1929. Arts. 16 and 18 of this code,as well as Arts. 3-8 and 10 and 12 of the General Penal Code, relate to international penal law. But these codes have not yet become binding because the prescribed vacationes legis have not yet expired. [Since the preparation of this article, the new Penal Code of Jugoslavia has gone into force the first of January, 1930.1

9 On this peculiarity of the Serbian law of succession see our communication “ Quelgues particularité du Droit civil yougoslave. Priorité des homines sur les femmes en matièere de succession ‘ ab intest‘ at.' Homestead. Communautis de famille (Zadrougas),” in the Compte Rendudes Séances et Travaux de l’Académie des Sciences Morales et Politiques (Institut de France), Paris, 1928

10 Literature on the Law of September 21, 1928:

1. Vesel, Dr. J. (attorney at Serajevo, capital of Bosnia-Herzegovina): The Law on Nationality of September SI, 1928. Google ScholarText of the law with notes. Serajevo, 1929.

2. Pirkmajer, Dr. O., chief of section of the Jugoslav Ministry of Interior, Belgrade: The Nationality of the Kingdom of the Serbs, Croats and Slovenes . Annotated edition of the rules of the law in force. Belgrade, 1929.Google Scholar

3. Konstantinovitch (Konstantinovic), Dr. M. , Professorin the Faculty of Law at Subotica (Jugoslavia): The Law on Nationality , published by the Belgrade journal Polieija, Belgrade, 1929.Google Scholar All three aforementioned works are in Serbian. Concerning the acquisition of nationality by virtue of the Treaties of Peace of 1919 and 1920 consult the following:

4. Soubbotitch, Ivan V. , Secretary in the Jugoslav Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Belgrade: Effets de la dissolution de l’Autriche-Hongrie sur la Nationalité de ses ressortissants , Paris,1926 (doctoral thesis of the University of Lausanne).Google Scholar

5. Konstantinovitch (Konstantinović) , Dr. M. , Die Staatsangehùrigkeit in Jugoslawien unter besonderer Berücksichtigung der Friedensverträge (reprinted from Ostrecht, Berlin, 1926).Google Scholar