Senators to challenge part of Klaus amnesty at Czech Constitutional Court

A cross-party group of senators have asked the Czech Constitutional Court to rule on the validity of the presidential amnesty declared on January 1 that saw over 7,000 prisoners released and halted long-running court cases, several involving massive corruption. The 29 senators want the Constitutional Court to rule out the latter part of Mr Klaus’s amnesty, arguing that it contravenes the rights of plaintiffs and hinders them from enforcing their claims. However, the court’s chief justice, Pavel Rychetský, said on Sunday that there was no precedent in the matter and that he was unsure as to whether it had the authority to rule on presidential amnesties.