Former justice minister selected as new dean of troubled law faculty

The academic senate of the Plzeň law faculty elected former justice minister Jiří Pospíšil as the new dean of the troubled faculty on Monday evening. The move helps stave off the threat of emergency management and closure. Mr. Pospíšil won 11 votes from the 18-strong senate, one more than needed to be elected.

The Plzeň law faculty is currently the focus of a highly-publicised scandal involving plagiarism, fast-track diplomas, and suspected corruption. A former student at the faculty, Mr. Pospíšil was brought in five weeks ago to try and sort out the shambles. The academic senate faced a choice between Mr. Pospíšil and Prague lawyer Karol Hrádela. Mr. Hrádela argued that an outsider with no connections to the faculty should get the job. Former Jaroslav Zachariáš stepped down during the scandal. Many of those receiving fast-track diplomat have been Czech politicians with prominent Civic Democrat Marek Benda the latest to come to the attention of local media.