Pavel Appoints 15 New Judges, Urges Them Not to Bow to Pressure

Czech President Petr Pavel appointed 15 new judges aged between 30 and 52 at a ceremony at Prague Castle, 11 of them women. Three of the appointees previously worked as lawyers, and several others also have experience in legal practice.

Earlier rounds of appointments typically included 50 or more names, but Justice Minister Pavel Blažek's successor, Pavel Tejc, announced after taking office that he intended to reduce the number of candidates, arguing that courts are now handling fewer cases.

The president reminded the new judges that public trust in the judiciary depends on how they approach their work and, often, on their personal courage. He wished the newcomers the strength to withstand pressure.

"An independent judiciary is one of the main pillars of a democratic state governed by the rule of law. It is crucial that people trust their courts. Unfortunately, we sometimes hear opinions and statements today that undermine the independent standing of the courts. It would be a serious mistake if we were to encourage this trend by agreeing with such arguments," Pavel said, alluding to the ongoing criticism of court rulings by current government and coalition representatives.

Three new judges will join the Prague Municipal Court and three the Ostrava Regional Court. Two more will join district courts under the jurisdiction of the Central Bohemian, České Budějovice, Hradec Králové and Brno regional courts. One more judge will join the District Court in Karlovy Vary. The newcomers will replace colleagues who have left or will leave the judiciary by 31 August this year as part of routine staff rotation.

During his time in office, Pavel has now appointed judges to the general courts on five occasions: at various stages this involved 52, 57, 60, 26, and, most recently in December of last year, 47 people, nominated by Tejc's predecessor as justice minister, Eva Decroix (ODS).

Tejc's plans to cut the number of candidates have already drawn criticism from the Union of Judges. The organisation believes that a sharp, one-off reduction in appointments could negatively affect the speed and consistency of court proceedings, and has warned of the risk of local judge shortages, particularly in smaller courts. The minister, however, has dismissed these concerns.

According to Tejc, following this latest round of appointments, judicial positions will be filled at a rate of 3,037 out of 3,063 planned posts. Despite a long-term decline in caseloads — over the past decade, the number of civil cases has fallen by 20% and criminal cases by 25% in district courts — more than 99% of planned judicial positions remain filled.

"I wish all newly appointed and serving judges strength, wisdom and professional success. I want them always to make decisions independently, impartially and responsibly, aware of how important a role they play in a state governed by the rule of law, and of the enormous trust and power the state entrusts to them when ruling on the fates of individual people," Tejc said.

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Around Prague, based on reporting by novinky.cz