In this article the author attempts to evaluate and conceptualise how the law and legal institutions function during the period of post-communist transformation in Slovak society, taking into consideration the fact that there are other social processes in addition to transformation that contribute to the challenges that the law is faced with. To begin the author introduces the topic's theoretical and methodological background, followed by a discussion of the legal code and its developmental trends, with a focus on the causes and impact of changes. The author also analyses the particular functions and dysfunctions of the law within the broader social context, in an effort to highlight those areas where the law and legal institutions do not function sufficiently and may contribute to the establishment of a dysfunctional, anti-legal culture.