Legal certainty - protected values and partial objectives : the case of the Czech Republic

Janderová, Jana (author), Hubálková, Petra (author)

Legal certainty is an essential prerequisite for individuals' autonomy, as lack of certainty prevents the planning of future activities and making rational decisions. As other key legal principles, it comprises an axiological quality which influences the interpretation of legal rules and the application of statutory laws. Thus, it should be adhered to by all branches of state power. Its objective is to promote several values that are all important for the protection of human rights: the rule of law, protection of legitimate expectations, general trust in law, prevention of arbitrary decision-making, inadmissibility of retroactivity. However, in some legal systems, the concept of legal certainty is slightly different. These differences also influence the extent and limits of legal certainty as it may not mean total rigidity and prevent necessary changes in statutory laws and decision-making. The reasonable balance is influenced by its axiological content. The article analyses the interpretation practice of the Czech Constitutional Court with the aim to determine the partial values inherent to the principle and categorise them according to their importance. Several partial objectives were determined by qualitative analysis. The quantitative analysis indicates that the key partial objectives include protection of the values comprising a general trust in the law, individuals' legitimate expectations, and a certain degree of predictability of laws, administrative practice and courts' decisions (uniformity, transparency, internal consistency and stability). Having identified these values, further research may be conducted as to how and to what extent expectations should be upheld.

• Language: English
• Keywords: good governance, legal certainty, legitimate expectations, misuse of power, public administration, rule of law
• Work type: Article
• Typology: 1.01 - Original Scientific Article
• Organization: FU - Faculty of Administration
• Publication status: Published
• Publication version: Version of Record
• Year: 2021
• Number of pages: Str. 63-82
• Numbering: Vol. 19, no. 1
• PID: 20.500.12556/RUL-128548
• UDC: 35:34(437.3)
• ISSN on article: 2591-2240
• DOI: 10.17573/cepar.2021.1.03
• COBISS.SI-ID: 67566083

Note

Povzetek v slov. jeziku se nahaja na koncu revije, na str. 284.

• Publication date in RUL: 19.07.2021

Record is a part of a journal

• Title: Central European public administration review
• Shortened title: CEPAR
• Publisher: Fakulteta za upravo
• ISSN: 2591-2240
• COBISS.SI-ID: 293849600

Licences

• License: CC BY 4.0, Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International
• Link: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
• Description: This is the standard Creative Commons license that gives others maximum freedom to do what they want with the work as long as they credit the author.
• Licensing start date: 30.03.2021

Secondary language

• Language: Slovenian
• Title: Pravna varnost - zaščitene vrednote in parcialni cilji : primer Češke

Abstract

Pravna varnost je bistven predpogoj za avtonomijo posameznika, saj pomanjkanje pravne varnosti onemogoča načrtovanje nadaljnjih dejavnosti in sprejemanje racionalnih odločitev. Tako kot druga ključna pravna načela vsebuje aksiološko razsežnost, ki vpliva na razlago pravnih norm in uporabo zakonov, zato jo morajo spoštovati vse veje oblasti. Njen namen je spodbujati vrednote, pomembne za zaščito človekovih pravic: pravna država, varovanje legitimnih pričakovanj, splošno zaupanje v pravo, preprečevanje arbitrarnega odločanja, nedopustnost retroaktivnosti. Vendar pa se v nekaterih pravnih sistemih pojem pravne varnosti nekoliko razlikuje. Te razlike vplivajo na obseg in omejitev pravne varnosti, saj ne pomeni nujno popolne togosti in preprečuje potrebne spremembe zakonov in postopkov odločanja. Na razumno ravnovesje vpliva njena aksiološka vsebina. Članek analizira prakso razlaganja zakonov na češkem ustavnem sodišču ter opredeljuje in razvršča parcialne vrednote tega načela glede na njihov pomen. S kvalitativno analizo so bili določeni številni parcialni cilji, kvantitativna analiza pa je pokazala, da so ključni predvsem zaščita vrednot, vključno s splošnim zaupanjem v pravo, legitimnimi pričakovanji posameznikov in določeno stopnjo predvidljivosti prava, upravne prakse in sodnih odločitev (enotnost, transparentnost, notranja skladnost in stabilnost). Opredelitev omenjenih vrednot odpira prostor za nadaljnje raziskave o tem, kako in v kolikšni meri velja pričakovanja podpreti.

• Keywords: dobro upravljanje, pravna varnost, legitimna pričakovanja, zloraba oblasti, javna uprava, pravna država

Projects

• Funder: Other - Other funder or multiple funders
• Funding programme: Student Grant Competition of University of Pardubice
• Project number: SGS_2020_014