President of Judges' Union Discusses Planned Reduction of Courts at UWB

Libor Vávra visited the Pilsen Faculty of Law to discuss the reasons behind the upcoming closure of certain judicial districts, its potential impacts, and solutions to the situation. He also offered students valuable advice on building a successful career in the judiciary.

The Ministry of Justice intends to reduce the number of certain courts starting in January of next year. According to the current proposal, for example, only seven out of the current ten district courts would remain in the Plzeň district. The Ministry plans to transfer judges from the abolished courts to other locations, promising cost savings and increased efficiency in judicial work. However, the Judges' Union warns that the justice system is not prepared for such a step, neither organizationally nor technically, and is calling for a thorough impact assessment. Libor Vávra, President of the Czech Judges' Union, discussed the situation in May at the Faculty of Law of the University of West Bohemia in Plzeň (FPR).

"The reduction of judicial workplaces has been an obvious trend in many developed countries over the last twenty years, currently accompanied by the intensive digitization of court case files to facilitate access to their content for the parties to the proceedings. However, this step is a matter of purely political decision-making. It is up to the judiciary to provide qualified feedback and proposals regarding any potential measures," Libor Vávra stated in Plzeň.

He explained the current situation in the Czech judicial system to the students, including court sizes and the volume of newly filed lawsuits and motions that courts must process. In his lecture, he compared the Czech situation with examples from other European countries and pointed out various foreign reforms implemented over the years. He spoke not only about the potential impacts of reducing the number of courts but also about possible solutions. Furthermore, he outlined the historical development of the judicial map in the Czech lands for the FPR audience and placed it in a modern context.

The upcoming dissolution of selected judicial districts was not the only topic the President of the Judges' Union brought to UWB. He also discussed the opportunities that law school graduates have had - and still have - on their journey from graduation to wearing the judicial robe or holding other positions within the judiciary. "The role of a judge's assistant is an ideal way, especially for recent law school graduates, to further develop their knowledge and skills in an inspiring and professionally challenging environment. They will certainly leverage the experience they gain, not only as judges, state prosecutors, notaries, or bailiffs, but also in other legal professions," Vávra explained.

As President, Libor Vávra is currently leading the Judges' Union of the Czech Republic for his fourth term, having been active in this professional organization since the mid-1990s. He currently serves as a criminal court judge at the Municipal Court in Prague, a position he previously held.