The Ministry of Justice plans to recruit 49 trainees into 41 judicial bodies

The Ministry of Justice, Administration and Digital Transformation has adopted the Plan for the Admission of Trainees to Judicial Bodies in 2026, which determines the admission of a total of 49 trainees into 41 judicial bodies in the Republic of Croatia. The Plan was published in the Official Gazette (Narodne novine), number 98, dated September 4, 2026, on page 1183, and was signed by Minister Damir Habijan.

The Plan is adopted based on Article 4, paragraph 1 of the Act on Trainees in Judicial Bodies and the Judicial Examination (Narodne novine, number 14/19 and 30/23). The judicial bodies in which admission is planned were determined in accordance with Article 9, paragraph 2 of the same Act, and the document bears the markings Class: 119-03/26-05/02 and Registry Number: 514-03-01-02/4-26-01, drafted in Zagreb on August 25, 2026.

Distribution by Types of Judicial Bodies

The Plan distributes the admission of trainees across five categories of judicial bodies, from municipal and county courts to commercial courts, as well as municipal and county state attorney’s offices. The largest number of positions is planned for municipal courts, and the smallest for commercial courts.

• Municipal Courts (16 bodies): 20 trainees
• County Courts (6 bodies): 6 trainees
• Commercial Courts (2 bodies): 2 trainees
• Municipal State Attorney’s Offices (12 bodies): 16 trainees
• County State Attorney’s Offices (5 bodies): 5 trainees

Highest Number of Positions in Individual Bodies

Among municipal courts, the highest number of trainees are planned to be admitted to the Municipal Court in Crikvenica, the Municipal Court in Koprivnica, and the Municipal Court in Zlatar, with two trainees each, while one trainee is planned for the courts in Bjelovar, Čakovec, Gospić, Karlovac, Kutina, Makarska, Požega, Sisak, Šibenik, Vinkovci, Virovitica, and Vukovar. In the Municipal Court in Pula – Pola, the admission of two trainees is planned.

Among state attorney’s offices, two trainees each are planned to be admitted by the Municipal State Attorney’s Office in Čakovec, the Municipal State Attorney’s Office in Karlovac, the Municipal State Attorney’s Office in Koprivnica, and the Municipal State Attorney’s Office in Zadar. In county state attorney’s offices, one trainee each is planned for Bjelovar, Dubrovnik, Pula – Pola, Sisak, and Šibenik.

Legal Framework and Entry into Force

The Plan determines the judicial bodies in which the admission of trainees is planned for 2026, the number of vacant systematized positions for judicial/state attorney trainees in those bodies as of August 25, 2026, and the planned number of persons for admission to said positions. The Plan enters into force on the day of its adoption and is published in the Official Gazette (Narodne novine) and on the website of the Ministry of Justice, Administration and Digital Transformation.

This Plan is directly relevant to young lawyers and law students preparing to enter the judicial profession, as it establishes the specific number and distribution of vacancies for judicial and prosecutorial trainees in 2026. By publication in the official gazette, candidates receive a clear overview of the judicial bodies where recruitment is planned, enabling them to plan their applications in a timely manner and prepare for the bar exam.

Plan for the Admission of Trainees to Judicial Bodies in 2026, Ministry of Justice, Administration and Digital Transformation, Class: 119-03/26-05/02, Registry Number: 514-03-01-02/4-26-01, Zagreb, August 25, 2026, published in Narodne novine, number 98, September 4, 2026, p. 1183.