Senate confirms right to armed defence will be constitutionally enshrined

The Senate has confirmed that the right to defend oneself and others with weapons will be constitutionally enshrined in the Czech Republic, within the Charter of Fundamental Rights and Freedoms.

The Czech president cannot veto a change to the constitution and is expected to sign it. The Charter will now contain a provision stating that “the right to defend one’s life or the life of another person, even with a weapon, is guaranteed under the conditions laid down by law”.

The amendment arose from a petition signed by more than 100,000 people. The authors of the legislative change said their goal was to prevent this right from being restricted by common European Union law and strengthen the Czech Republic’s position in talks on further EU regulations.