Publication details
Czech lustration of judges
| Authors | |
|---|---|
| Year of publication | 2019 |
| Type | Appeared in Conference without Proceedings |
| Citation | |
| Description | The Czech lustration laws have been referred to as ‘thorough and comprehensive,’ ‘one of the strongest’ and even ‘the most sweeping’ among the lustrations acts of the post-communist countries in Central and Eastern Europe. This law, coupled with the high turnover of Czech judges after the 1989 Velvet Revolution, led scholars to the conclusion that Czech post-Velvet politicians engaged in widespread purges within the Czech judiciary. This piece shows that this view is simplified, if not simplistic, and misleading. While the Czech lustration laws did have some bite, it had much lesser impact than generally acknowledged. At the same time, Czech politicians employed other transitional mechanisms to reckon with the past within the judiciary, albeit with mixed results. We analyzed these mechanisms and attempt to explain why they failed to deliver the goods. |
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