As of January 1, the family law amendment will come in power. According to the Slovak Justice Ministry, it represents a significant improvement in the protection of health and life of children as well as contributing to make their rights equal to their parents'. The amended act reads that society respects a stable family environment to be the most suitable for the general and harmonic development of a child. Placing a child in state facilities is understood to be the final option. Trials dealing with parental kidnapping of children from abroad to Slovakia should be swifter in decision making. Following Hague Convention, the return of the child should be ordered within 6 weeks. The amendment to the Slovak law enables the returning of the child to the state of its regular residence in case no extraordinary causes interfere with its return, making it neither possible nor appropriate.
