The courts in the Czech Republic have made significant strides in efficiency. In recent years, the average duration of proceedings has been noticeably reduced. On average, a judge now rules on a civil action within six months, an improvement of thirteen days compared to the previous year.
Over the last ten years, the courts have accelerated their decision-making process by an average of five months. This is also reflected in the shortened time between the filing of charges and judgement, which now averages three and a half months. Another factor contributing to reducing the workload of the courts is the long-term decline in crime in the Czech Republic. As a result, there are eight thousand fewer criminal cases on the courts’ dockets than there were ten years ago, reports the Czech news channel ČT24.
The legal institution of the guilty plea (Institut prohlášení viny) plays an important role here. Defendants who plead guilty allow the courts to dispense with questioning witnesses and concentrate solely on determining the sentence. This speeds up the process considerably.
The judiciary is also becoming increasingly efficient in cases relating to child custody, maintenance, and administrative actions against authorities.
Nevertheless, disputes often do not end with a single judgement. Cases are frequently referred back to the court of first instance for further hearings, where another judge takes over the case and makes a decision.
The ongoing efforts of the Czech judiciary are showing positive results and are helping to improve legal certainty and trust in the judicial system in the Czech Republic.
