Composition and Structure
The Supreme Court is composed of the President, the Vice-President, Presidents of Divisions, Presidents of Panels and other judges. The President and Vice-President are appointed by the President of the Republic for a 10-year term. The Supreme Court sits in Panels or in Grand Panels of the Divisions. The Supreme Court has two Divisions – the Civil and Commercial Division and the Criminal Division.President
The President of the Supreme Court has a managerial and administrative role. The President also participates in the decision-making, appoints Presidents of Divisions, Presidents of Panels, judicial assistants and court employees to managerial positions. He issues the Organisational and Office Rules and, following discussions at the Plenary Session, the Rules of Procedure of the Supreme Court. Upon consultation with the Council of Judges, he issues a Work Schedule for every calendar year. The President of the Supreme Court convenes and presides the Plenary Session, and determines its programme. The President also makes proposals addressed to the Divisions or the Plenary Session for adoption of a standpoint on the decision-making practice of the lower courts in matters of a certain type.
Vice-President
The Vice-President of the Supreme Court participates, among others, in the performance of the administrative and judicial activities of the Supreme Court, especially by substituting the President of the Supreme Court in case of the President´s absence.
Panels
As a rule, the Supreme Court sits in Panels or in Grand Panels of the Divisions. Three-member Panels consist of a President of Panel responsible for organising its work, and two judges. The Panels decide, in particular, on extraordinary appeals and on the recognition and enforceability of decisions of foreign courts in the Czech Republic. In addition, in criminal cases, they decide on complaints on the violation of the law.
Grand Panels
The Grand Panels are made up of at least nine judges of the same Division. The Grand Panel decides in a situation when a case has been referred to it by one of the Panels of the Supreme Court because the Panel has reached a legal opinion that differs from a legal opinion already expressed in a decision of the Supreme Court.
Divisions
The judges of the Supreme Court form Divisions according to their specialization. Nowadays, the Supreme Court has two Divisions, namely the Civil and Commercial Division and the Criminal Division. Each Division is presided over by its President who manages and organizes its activities. The Divisions adopt opinions on decision-making practice of lower courts, monitor and evaluate their final decisions and generalise the findings. They submit to the President of the Supreme Court suggestions on proposals for an opinion of the Plenary Session on the decision-making practice of lower courts in cases of a certain type. Upon proposals by the President of the Supreme Court, Presidents of Divisions and Presidents of Grand Panels, the Divisions adopt opinions, and select and decide to include decisions in the Collection of Judicial Decisions and Opinions of the Supreme Court.
Plenary Session
The Plenary session consists of the President of the Supreme Court, the Vice-President, Presidents of Divisions, Presidents of Panels and other judges of the Supreme Court. It is the most important collective body of the Supreme Court. It discusses the Rules of Procedure of the Supreme Court and adopts opinions on the decision-making practice of lower courts and on issues concerning the Divisions or issues on which the Divisions differ in their views.
Council of Judges
The Council of Judges was established at the Supreme Court as an advisory body for the President of the Supreme Court.