European court rules Czech judicial body is not independent

The European Court of Human Rights says that the disciplinary senate of the Czech Supreme Administrative Court is not sufficiently independent and impartial. The body is responsible for conducting disciplinary proceedings against judges, prosecutors and bailiffs. The court in Strasbourg said the situation meant the Czech Republic was violating the right to a fair trial and called for the situation to be rectified.

The ruling follows a complaint from a Czech bailiff who argued that the court body’s disciplinary proceedings did not correspond to a proper trial and did not allow for appeals. The European Court of Human Rights awarded him EUR 4,000 in damages.