This paper deals with a comparative analysis of the legal position of women in the Serbian (1844, hereinafter SCC) and Italian (1865, hereinafter ICC) Civil Codes, considering the norms that regulate the position of women in marriage and those regarding inheritance. Confronting these two codes is relevant for various reasons. Firstly, it has not been done before in Serbian jurisprudence. Secondly, although based on different models (the Italian on the French Code, the Serbian on the Austrian Code, hereinafter ACC), each of them differs in some aspects from their model in the law of marriage and inheritance. Thirdly, it’s important from a historical aspect, because the Italian Kingdom had just been formed and the Serbians had relieved themselves of the centuries-long Turkish government, so there’s a similarity in the process of writing the codes. Although the writing styles of the codes are unalike, there are certain similarities in the provisions on marriage, the relationship between spouses, the relationship between spouses and children, and in terms of testamentary succession. For example, both codes give more rights to the husband (being the „head of the family”), and while the wife can write a will, she is not allowed to be a legal witness to another person’s will. There are several differences between the two codes, but most of them are negligible. For instance, both codes prescribe a parent’s permission for marriage, while the marriageable age that doesn’t require consent differs (i the ICC 25 years old for men and 21 for women, whereas in Serbia it’s 18 years old for both men and women). However, a few differences are relevant. The biggest one is the way in which intestate succession is regulated: the right to inherit is recognized to legitimate children regardless of gender in the Italian code, while in the Serbian code women are excluded from inheritance, which is one of the major differences between the SCC and ACC. In fact, when writing the code, Hadžić didn’t want this provision incorporated in the law, but it was added nevertheless. The second biggest difference between the ICC and the SCC consists in the fact that adultery is considered a reason for legal separation (and not divorce, because divorce was not allowed) in the ICC only if it is committed by the wife, while in the Serbian one the sex of the adulterer is not specified and can lead to divorce even if it’s done by the husband. Finally, the Serbian legislator also regulates the position of women in the „zadruga” (a type of joint family), in which women cannot be members, nor can they inherit, while that institute is not prescribed in the Italian one.
Poređenje pravnog položaja žena u braku i nasleđivanju u Srpskom građanskom zakoniku iz 1844. i Građanskom zakoniku Kraljevine Italije iz 1865.
