Supreme Administrative Court of the Czech Republic
Supreme Administrative Court of the Czech Republic | |
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Established | January 2, 2003 |
Location | Brno |
Composition method | Presidential appointment with Prime Minister's countersigning |
Authorized by | Constitution of the Czech Republic |
Website | www |
President of the Court | |
Currently | Karel Šimka |
Since | February 2, 2022 |
The Supreme Administrative Court of the Czech Republic (Nejvyšší správní soud České republiky) is the court of the highest authority on issues of judicial review of executive (and regulatory) action. It also has jurisdiction over competence disputes and many political matters, such as the elections, the formation and closure of political parties, the eligibility of persons to stand for public office, etc. It also adjudicates in disciplinary proceedings against judges and state prosecutors.
Similarly to other countries in Europe, administrative justice is considered a separate branch of the judiciary in the Czech Republic. The Supreme Administrative Court is the highest judicial authority in administrative law (spanning from asylum law, environmental law, and social security law to electoral law, tax law, competition law, etc. -- covering all public law except criminal law), whereas the Supreme Court deals with civil and criminal matters.
History
The modern SAC can trace its origins back to Bohemia and Moravia under the Austro-Hungarian Empire. From the mid-19th century until the formation of Czechoslovakia, Czech rights with respect to administrative law were safeguarded by the Verwaltungsgerichtshof, or Austrian administrative court, which sat in Vienna. The Administrative Courts of the Czech Republic and Austria thus have a common ancestor.
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Since 2003, the SAC has been characterized by a growing case load amidst understaffing and the search for a permanent location. The latter was finally accomplished in late 2006, when the court moved out of rented office space and into its new, permanent headquarters on Moravian Square (Moravské náměstí) in Brno. Simultaneously, the Parliament has paid more legislative attention to the SAC, giving greater definition to the scope and powers of the court through several statutes.[1]