Role of the Court
The Supreme Court is the highest judicial authority in matters within the courts’ jurisdiction in civil and criminal proceedings. Its Panels decide on extraordinary remedies, with the exception of matters that fall within the competence of the Constitutional Court and the Supreme Administrative Court.Extraordinary remedies are extraordinary appeals against decisions of courts of second instance and also complaints on the violation of the law filed before the criminal court by the Ministry of Justice. The Supreme Court decides, in cases prescribed by law, on the determination of the local and substantive jurisdiction of the courts, recognition of foreign decisions, review of wiretapping orders and in case of doubts about immunity from criminal law enforcement.
The Supreme Court plays a vital role in unifying case law. It achieves this in particular by deciding on extraordinary appeals and issuing opinions on a uniform interpretation of the law. The most important decisions of the Supreme Court, or lower instance courts, and opinions of the Divisions or Plenary Sessions of the Supreme Court, are published in the Collection of Decisions and Opinions of the Supreme Court.
Since 1 September 2017, under Act No. 159/2006 Coll., on Conflict of Interest, the Supreme Court has also been entrusted with receiving and recording notifications concerning the activities, assets, income, gifts and obligations of all the more than 3000 judges in the Czech Republic.