4. The Czech Republic

Abstract

Czech laws are derived from written legislation and are hierarchically structured. The Constitution (Ústava) and the other constitutional laws (ústavní zákony), together with the Charter of Fundamental Rights and Freedoms (Listina základních práv a svobod), possess the greatest legal authority and can only be amended by another constitutional law. Secondary to these are ordinary laws (zákony). Finally, there are implementing regulations, which carry the least legal authority. The most important legislative instruments are laws. A more comprehensive set of laws, called codes (zákoníky), encompass a whole field of law and set out detailed provisions in a systematic way. Laws encompassing an entire area of procedural law and setting out detailed procedural provisions for civil, criminal, and administrative proceedings are called codes of procedure (řády). These laws are complemented by implementing regulations, i.e. government regulations (nařízení vlády) and orders adopted by ministries, central government bodies and autonomous regional entities (vyhlášky).