KŠB Attorneys for legalweb: Let’s Keep the Current Flexible Approach to Judicial Recesses

They argue that while judicial recesses do not formally exist under Czech law, they already exist in practice and have for many years. During the summer months, courts generally schedule fewer hearings and are often willing to grant extensions to procedural deadlines. According to the two attorneys, the current situation provides the flexibility that litigants, their legal representatives, and the courts need.

They also point out that any system of mandatory judicial recesses would inevitably require a number of exceptions. Many court dockets, such as cases involving the care of minors, criminal cases, and decisions on preliminary measures, simply cannot be put on hold. As a result, the judicial system would still need to operate during the recess period.

In the second part of the survey, they comment on proposed changes to the number of courts in the Czech Republic. They acknowledge that the debate on streamlining the judicial system is legitimate and that the current network of courts may not fully correspond to demographic trends or the actual caseload of individual courts. However, they emphasize that any reform must not reduce the efficiency, functionality, or accessibility of judicial protection.

In their view, the ongoing digitalization of the judiciary and the broader use of electronic tools, such as videoconferencing and remote access to court files, are particularly important components of modernizing the judiciary. They conclude that any changes to the judicial system should be based on a thorough analysis of the needs of individual regions and must not lead to further delays in court proceedings.

You can read the full interview here on Jan Januš's legalweb.

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