Constitutional Identity in Czech Jurisprudence

Constitutional Identity in Czech Jurisprudence Presented by: Dr. Petr Date: 13 December 2022 Introduction - Adopted on 21 December 1990 - Czech “constitutional identity” not much discussed in Czechia - Czech Constitutional Court does not employ this term - In legal theory, equated to two provisions of Czech Constitution • KOSAŘ, D., VYHNÁNEK, L. Ústavní identita České republiky [Constitutional Identity of the Czech Republic]. Právník, 2018, p. 854 - To a limited extent, the same interpretation adopt in practice • The Government in Lisbon I Ad Czech Constitution - Article 1 (1) • The Czech Republic is a sovereign, unitary and democratic, law- abiding State, based on respect for the rights and freedoms of man and citizen. - Article 9 (2) • The substantive requisites of the democratic, law-abiding State may not be amended. The “Material Core” Of Czech Constitution - - Elements protected by the “eternity clause” • Democracy • Law-abiding state Extended by jurisprudence to cover all of Art. 1 (1) • Fundamental rights (III.ÚS 31/97) • Sovereignty (Pl. ÚS 19/08) - Czech Constitutional Court one of the most activist courts in the world to protect it • - KOSAŘ, VYHNÁNEK (2018) Pl. ÚS 36/01 „Insolvency" • KUHN, Z., KYSELA, J. Je ústavou vždy to, co Ústavní soud řekne, že ústava je? Časopis pro právní vědu a praxi, 2002, No. 3, p. 205 • “EU-amendment” of the Constitution abolishes specific category of ,international treaties on human rights and fundamental freedoms"  Treaties on human rights and fundamental freedoms take precedence over statutes  If a treaty provides something other than that which a statute provides, the treaty shall apply • CC: because of the eternity clause", human rights treaties part of Czech constitutional legal order - Czech Constitutional Court one of the most activist courts in the world to protect it - Pl. ÚS 27/09 “Elections” • Because of a governmental crisis, specific constitutional law shortening the electoral term • CC: “electoral” constitutional law annulled as contrary to the principles of a law-abiding state (retroactivity) - Czech Constitutional Court one of the most activist courts in the world to protect it - Pl. ÚS 50/04 “Sugar quotas III” • Primacy of EU law not limitless • Π Delegation of competencies to the EU may last only as long as the EU institutions exercise them in away compatible with the fundamental sovereignty of the Czech Republic Conflict with EU Law? - Case-law of the Constitutional Court very pro-European • - KOSAŘ, VYHNÁNEK (2018) PI. ÚS 66/04 „European Arrest Warrant" • Art. 14 (3) Czech Charter of Fundamental Rights  No citizen shall be forced to leave his homeland • CC: If there are several interpretations of the Constitution and only one of them is compatible with the obligations, that the Czech Republic adopted as a member of the EU, such an interpretation needs to be adopted - Case-law of the Constitutional Court very pro-European - What about the ultra vires ruling Pl. ÚS 5/12,, Slovak pensions"? • CC: CJ EU should have got acquainted with arguments respecting the case- law of the Constitutional Court and the Czech constitutional identity Something specifically “Czech”? - Pl. ÚS 14/94 “Beneš decrets” • Confiscation of German and Hungarian assets after WW2 • It is not possible to apply the criteria of today to a situation that is more than a century old Conclusions - “Constitutional identity” used only in legal theory - Czech Constitutional Court ready to protect it - No conflict with EU law expected