Evropská zletilost českých (nejvyšších) soudů aneb prvních 18 let předběžných otázek z Brna
Coming of Age of the Czech (Supreme) Courts, or the First 18 Years of Preliminary References from Brno

Summary/Abstract: This article offers an analysis of all preliminary references that have originated from the two Czech Supreme Courts since the Czech Republic’s accession to the EU. In the presented text, we first briefly introduce the preliminary reference mechanism and the existing academic texts that deal with the role of national courts in it (Part I). We then offer some overview data on preliminary references in a European comparison, which allows the reader to consider the activity of Czech courts in a broader context (Part II). The centerpiece of the article focuses on an analysis of the decision-making activity of the two Czech Supreme Courts, which draws primarily on a study of the text of the court decisions themselves (Part III). This central third part is divided into three subchapters according to the individual stages of the proceedings. The analysis of the referral orders of the national courts (phase A) is the most comprehensive, showing, for example, different levels of involvement and different levels of assertiveness of individual judges, as well as different motivations for submitting preliminary references. The ‘European’ phase of the proceedings (Phase B) is the most briefly explored, focusing on how the Court of Justice itself assesses the relevance of the questions referred to it. We look again in somewhat more detail at the follow-up proceedings in the national courts (Phase C), to see whether the Czech Supreme Courts follow the ECJ’s legal opinions loyally. We conclude with some observations on the trends that can be observed from the Czech Supreme Courts’ decision-making.

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