Constitutional Court chairman uncertain as to whether it can rule on presidential amnesties

The chairman of the Czech Constitutional Court, Pavel Rychetský, says he is unsure as to whether the court has the authority to rule on presidential amnesties. Speaking on Prima TV on Sunday, Chief Justice Rychetský said there was no precedent in the matter and it was unclear whether a group of senators has the right to challenge the amnesty declared by President Václav Klaus that saw over 7,000 prisoners released and halted long-running court cases, several involving massive corruption. The senators plan to propose on Monday that the Constitutional Court rule out the latter plank of Mr. Klaus’s amnesty; they argue that it contravenes the rights of plaintiffs and thwarts their chance to enforce their claims.

Author: Ian Willoughby