The master's thesis deals with the role of the public in civil proceedings. It starts by explaining the concept of the general public and the publicity for parties. The role of the general public in civil proceedings is primarily in ensuring social control over the judicial branch of government. Some legal theorists also draw attention to the educational and disciplinary effect provided by the participation of the general public. At the same time, the participation of the general public ensures a higher degree of public confidence in the judiciary. The master's thesis presents the constitutional and international legal framework which regulates the public nature of civil proceedings and, in the central part of the thesis presents in detail the legal instruments which enable the general public to exercise its role. These are the public hearing, the public pronouncement of the judgement and the access to court records and judgements. The restrictions on the participation of the general public in civil proceedings are also presented in detail, with an emphasis on the exclusion of the general public from the hearing. The master's thesis focuses on contentious civil procedure, but some specific features of the non-contentious civil procedure are also highlighted. The main purpose of the master's thesis was to offer a new, comprehensive view of the role of the public in civil proceedings. The main conclusions of the master's thesis are that the regulatory framework of the participation of the general public in Slovenian civil proceedings is satisfactory and in accordance with international and constitutional requirements. On the other hand, the grounds for exclusion of the general public are also in conformity with international and constitutional requirements, but they are not regulated in the normatively most appropriate manner. The master's thesis highlights some of the shortcomings and proposes several solutions de lege ferenda.
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