Prague Castle witnessed the appointment of three new judges to the Constitutional Court by President Petr Pavel yesterday. The newly appointed judges include former Supreme Administrative Court head Josef Baxa, constitutional law professor Jan Wintr, and former head of the Judges Union Daniela Zemanova. These appointments mark President Pavel’s first selection of Constitutional Court members since his inauguration in March. Last week, the candidates received approval from the Senate.

The three newcomers, joining the existing 15-member team of constitutional judges, fill the vacancies left by Jaroslav Fenyk, Jan Filip, and Milada Tomkova, whose ten-year mandates concluded on 3rd May. While Vladimir Sladecek’s term also expired recently, the president has not yet announced a candidate for the vacant position.

Presidential spokeswoman Marketa Rehakova informed reporters that the documents for consideration of the successors for Judge Ludvik David, whose term ends in August, will be submitted to the Senate in June. Rehakova mentioned that the president is still finalizing the selection and has not made decisions on all the names yet.

Josef Baxa, aged 63, has an extensive background in the judiciary, serving as a judge since 1984. Notably, he was appointed as the president of the Supreme Administrative Court in 2003 and played a crucial role in the establishment of the Faculty of Law at the University of West Bohemia. Baxa has actively engaged in critically analyzing the functioning of the judiciary and advocating for potential reforms.

Jan Wintr, aged 44, holds doctorates in both law and political science. He studied history and political science at the Faculty of Arts of Charles University. Wintr has served as the secretary of the Chamber of Deputies’ standing committee on the Czech constitution and has contributed significantly to the field of Czech parliamentary culture and constitutional law principles through his authored books.

Daniela Zemanova, aged 51, brings a wealth of experience as a judge since 2001. She recently held the position of deputy head of the regional court for the Liberec branch. Zemanova has been actively involved in the Judges’ Union, focusing on the training and selection of judges, judicial ethics, and issues concerning the state administration of courts. Her professional expertise lies in matters related to the care and protection of minors within court proceedings.

Vlastimil Gottinger, the secretary general of the Constitutional Court, emphasized that while the judges take their oath of office in the hands of the Czech President, the allocation of judges to specific panels and cases is decided collectively by the full Constitutional Court. Gottinger expressed confidence in the newly appointed judges, highlighting their preparation for the role and their commitment to safeguarding constitutionalism and human rights over the next decade.

As the Constitutional Court continues its work, there are still vacancies in the fourth panel, which previously consisted of Radovan Suchanek and Josef Fiala. Vojtech Simicek, the recently appointed vice-president of the court, is temporarily serving as an acting judge in the third panel alongside Jiri Zemanek and Ludvik David. The position of the second vice-chair remains unfilled.

The appointment of these three distinguished individuals to the Constitutional Court reflects President Petr Pavel’s commitment to upholding the principles of justice and constitutionalism in the Czech Republic. Their expertise and dedication are expected to contribute significantly to the protection of human rights and the functioning of the judiciary in the years to come.

Article by Prague Forum