Sports Law in Montenegro: Origins and Contemporary Development

Abstract

This article represents a contribution to debates on national sport-related legislation noting that academic engagement in the Balkan region has been silent on this matter. That said, the aim of this article is to present the historical developments of sports law in Montenegro, and to locate major developmental changes and dynamics within the contemporary setting. The end of the 19th and the beginning of the 20th century marked the first regulatory mechanisms for sports in Montenegro, adopting its organizational structure, internal regulations and procedures. The major changes occurred during the socialist period vis-à-vis organizational setting with the introduction of the delegate system with democratization and decentralization as the core principles. The decline of socialism has led to the dissolution of Yugoslavia resulting in the liberalization of the sports system dismantling the concept of physical culture. In contemporary developments, institutional setting and legal framework are more subject to political bargaining with strong state intervention and centralization in terms of policy planning and implementation.