Media: As term ends, Zeman plans to appoint top court head “in advance”

President Miloš Zeman could appoint a new head of the Czech Constitutional Court in the three months before his term ends, Seznam Zprávy and Respekt reported on Wednesday. The head of state plans to install current Constitutional Court judge Josef Fiala to the post, the news outlets said.

Experts say such a move may be legally uncertain, as the mandate of the current head of the court, Pavel Rychetský, does not end until August. Mr. Zeman himself will be replaced in March so he would need to appoint Mr. Fiala “in advance”.

Mr. Rychetský told Seznam Zprávy that it was not possible to name somebody to an occupied position from the legal and formal perspective.