Czech Centre for Human Rights and Democracy
The Centre is an independent academic institution monitoring human rights developments both domestically and worldwide, issuing a monthly Bulletin, as well as organizing conferences.
The Constitutional court annulled the resolution of District court for Prague 8 and Regional court in Prague. This presented another opportunity for the court to address the issue of removing children from their parents' care and placing them in children's homes. What led the court to this decision, and what challenges did it face? What arguments did the parents present, and what errors did the lower courts make?
Former Czechoslovak Interior Minister Vratislav Vajnar faced charges of abuse of official authority. As this offense is considered particularly serious, the court could sentence Vajnar to imprisonment for up to 10 years. However, Vajnar did not live to see the outcome of the criminal proceedings, as he passed away at the age of 92.
The arrival of 1 January 2023 marked not only the start of a new year, but also the dawn of a new decade for the Czech Republic. Throughout 2023, the country celebrated three decades of sovereignty, freedom, and democracy - an achievement unparalleled in modern Czech history.
By the end of February 2023 Supreme Administrative court (SAC) cancelled a part of a judgement of the Regional court in Prague regarding Greenhouse gas emissions. According to SAC excessive proactivity of courts is not appropriate in the current situation. Special climate law has not yet been enacted in Czech Republic.
Senate elections were held at the end of September 2022, which means that one third of the Parliament’s upper house was to be replaced. Which party is left with only one mandate even though it enjoyed a majority in the Senate just twelve years ago? And can defamation against a candidate lead to the nullity of elections?
At the end of July, a Summer School of Criminal Law, organised by Babes-Bolyai University Law Faculty students, took place in Cluj-Napoca, Romania, which I also attended. The school hosted students from many European countries, including Germany, Lithuania, and Italy. Although the academic program was intense, the organizers also prepared a rich social program for the participants, allowing us to get to know Romania.
In 2020, the "Nth room" case, a significant criminal investigation in South Korea involving blackmail, cybersex trafficking, and the distribution of sexually exploitative videos via the Telegram app, caused considerable concern within the country. Currently, South Korea is facing a new challenge in the form of digital sex crime, which involves the creation and distribution of illegal pornographic videos using deepfake technology.