Citizenship is one of the fundamental pillars of the relationship between the individual and the state. This legal institution represents a permanent bond, the content of which consists of mutual rights and obligations arising from the legal order of the given state. Although citizenship is primarily governed by national law, its significance extends beyond the borders of individual states, as it is closely linked to international law and European Union law. It is precisely this multi-layered nature (national, European, and international) that creates a wide scope for legal issues that are the subject of intense academic debate and judicial decision-making.
The case law of international, European, and national judicial authorities reveals the complexity of the issue of nationality, its acquisition, loss, and impact on the exercise of individuals' rights. The Court of Justice of the European Union has repeatedly emphasized that the nationality of a Member State is also citizenship of the Union, which confers rights and obligations in the European legal area. Similarly, the European Court of Human Rights and the International Court of Justice have dealt with issues of arbitrary deprivation of citizenship, the rights of stateless persons, and the rights of persons with multiple citizenship.
At the national level, the legal regulation of the acquisition and loss of citizenship has evolved in response to social, security, and political circumstances. Slovak legislation is based on the constitutional principle that citizenship cannot be revoked against the will of the citizen, but practice and case law reveal a number of application problems, particularly in relation to naturalization, dual citizenship, and the status of stateless persons.
The ambition of the conference is to create a professional platform for the exchange of knowledge and discussion on the case law of international, European, and national courts in the field of citizenship, with the aim of identifying open questions and offering possible solutions. Special attention will be paid to a comparative view of selected legal regulations on citizenship in other countries and their reflection in court decisions.
The aim of the conference is therefore to objectively evaluate the legal regulations and case law in this area, contribute to a deeper scientific understanding of the phenomenon of citizenship, and support the connection between theory and practice in the application of this key institution within the domestic, European and international legal environment.
We would like to take this opportunity to cordially invite you to this scientific event, where we would also welcome your scientific contribution, which will help to find answers and solutions to the questions raised within the thematic focus of the conference.
The conference will take place on December 8–9, 2025, and will be held in electronic form. Submitted contributions will be published on the conference website during the conference, creating space for professional discourse.
Contributions selected by the scientific and organizing committee will be published in a peer-reviewed online magazine on the faculty's website.