Institutional Protection of Fundamental Rights in the Czech Republic by the Constitutional Court and the National Human Rights Institution

Martin Škurek

doi:10.55073/2026.1.243-264

Authors

Martin Škurek Ph.D., Assistant Professor, The Department of Administrative and Financial Law, Faculty of Law, Palacky University, Olomouc, Czech Republic https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2581-7634

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.55073/2026.1.243-264

Keywords:

the fundamental rights adjudication, the constitutionality protection, the Constitutional Court of the Czech Republic, the National Human Rights Institution (NHRI), the Defender

Abstract

This paper primarily examines the fundamental rights adjudication in the Czech Republic. Article 83 of the Constitution states that the Constitutional Court of the Czech Republic is a judicial body for the protection of constitutionality. In the Czech Republic, the concept of constitutionality protection is not expressly defined in the Constitution. It may, however, be understood both as the legal space (range of cases) within which the Constitutional Court operates and as the set of means through which it safeguards the fundamental rights and freedoms of the constitutional law addressees. A somewhat more specific definition is provided by certain theorists who understand the protection of constitutionality as the safeguarding of constitutional rules, principles, and values contained in the constitutional order against the exercise of public power.

As regards the existence of circumstances in the Czech Republic that may affect the effective protection of fundamental rights, it follows from the consistent case-law of the Constitutional Court that the binding nature of its judgements is almost absolute. It should, however, be added that with respect to the so-called precedential binding nature of the Constitutional Court’s judgements, general courts may depart from the legal opinions of the Constitutional Court, provided that they present competing considerations in good faith and thereby initiate a constitutional dialogue with the Constitutional Court.

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