Senate votes to maintain role of ‘lay judges’ in courts

The Senate has voted against a lower house proposal to restrict the presence of “lay judges” to court hearings on criminal matters, rejecting the government’s argument that their presence alongside a professional judge unnecessarily slows proceedings.

In Czech courts, there are no juries. That role is played to an extent by the so-called “judges of the people”, who are generally unfamiliar with the finer points of the law but are paid to serve alongside a professional judge as advisors.

Many argue that the lay element is a democratizing component and preferable to a jury system. Rather than reduce their role, the Senate wants to increase their remuneration to attract more capable lay judges.