MP201Zk History of Czech and Czechoslovak Law in Modern Times

Faculty of Law
Spring 2025
Extent and Intensity
2/2/0. 5 credit(s). Type of Completion: zk (examination).
In-person direct teaching
Teacher(s)
prof. JUDr. Ladislav Vojáček, CSc. (lecturer)
doc. JUDr. Bc. Jaromír Tauchen, Ph.D., LL.M. Eur.Int. (lecturer)
JUDr. David Kolumber, Ph.D. (lecturer)
Mgr. et Mgr. Lenka Šmídová Malárová, Ph.D. et Ph.D. (lecturer)
Mgr. Milan Dobeš (seminar tutor)
JUDr. Jan Kabát (seminar tutor)
Guaranteed by
doc. JUDr. Bc. Jaromír Tauchen, Ph.D., LL.M. Eur.Int.
Department of the History of the State and Law – Faculty of Law
Contact Person: Zuzana Suchá
Supplier department: Department of the History of the State and Law – Faculty of Law
Course Enrolment Limitations
The course is also offered to the students of the fields other than those the course is directly associated with.
fields of study / plans the course is directly associated with
  • Law (programme PrF, PR_) (2)
  • Law (programme PrF, M-PPV) (2)
Course objectives
The main aims of the course: - understanding and mastering the basic characteristics of the development of Czech law, particularly since 1848 until the end of the 20th century;
- identifying the sources of Czech law and the process of its creation and application
- distinguishing and identifying the transition from legal particularism (sectionalism) through the unification of Czech and Austrian law towards modern forms of law, lawmaking and legal practice;
- identifying the influence of foreign legal systems on Czech law – the reception of Roman law and the influence of German and canon law;
- understanding the changes Czech law has undergone throughout the centuries.
Learning outcomes
After finishing the course, a student will be able to: - identify and summarize the key characteristics in the development of the form of government and legal system of the Czech lands; - using the knowledge of the development of the state and law since early history to competently evaluate later legal developments including contemporary law; - compare and stress the differences of the legal systems in various stages of the development of Czech law and their connection to the historical forms of government; - describe the steps taken by totalitarian regimes to transform the democratic, rule of law legal systém into a totalitarian one; - using the knowledge of legal history understand certain recent or current legal developments (e. g. restitutions or the issue of presidential decrees).
Syllabus
  • The pre-modern Czech state and law.
  • The formation of a modern legal systém during the period of absolutism.
  • Legal development in the second half of the 19th century, the constitutional development of Austria-Hungary.
  • The formation of the First Republic. The constitutional development of the First Republic. The evolution of public administration and the judiciary.
  • The legal system of the First Republic, the recodification of law.
  • Legal changes adopted during the Second Republic. The legal system of the Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia. The government-in-exile and presidential decrees.
  • The development of the state and law in the years 1945-1948.
  • Constitutional, administrative and judicial developments (1948-1989).
  • Criminal law (1948-1989).
  • Civil law (1948-1989).
  • Family and labour law (1948-1989).
  • Commercial law and the law of agricultural cooperatives (1948-1989).
  • The development of the state and law after 1989.
Literature
    recommended literature
  • VOJÁČEK, Ladislav, Karel SCHELLE and Vilém KNOLL. České právní dějiny. 3. upravené vydání. Plzeň: Vydavatelství a nakladatelství Aleš Čeněk, 2016, 694 stran. ISBN 9788073805753. info
  • Encyklopedie českých právních dějin. Edited by Karel Schelle - Jaromír Tauchen. Vydání první. Ostrava: KEY Publishing, 2015, 971 stran. ISBN 9788074182389. info
  • SCHELLE, Karel, Jaromír TAUCHEN, Karolina ADAMOVÁ and Antonín LOJEK. Velké dějiny zemí Koruny české. Tematická řada. Stát (The Great History of the Czech Lands. Thematic Series. The State). Praha: Paseka, 2015, 652 pp. ISBN 978-80-7432-652-3. URL info
  • SCHELLE, Karel and Jaromír TAUCHEN. Vývoj konstitucionalismu v českých zemích (2. díl) (The Development of Constitutionalism in the Czech Lands (Part 2)). Praha: Linde, 2013, 1476 pp. ISBN 978-80-7201-926-7. info
  • VOJÁČEK, Ladislav, Karel SCHELLE, Jaromír TAUCHEN, Pavel SALÁK, Zdeňka KRÁLÍČKOVÁ, Ivana PRŮCHOVÁ, Renata VESELÁ, Radovan DÁVID, Miroslav FRÝDEK, Ivana STARÁ and Martin CEMPÍREK. Vývoj soukromého práva na území českých zemí (I. díl) (The Development of Private Law in the Territory of the Czech Republic (Part I.)). 1. vyd. Brno: Masarykova univerzita, 2012, 616 pp. Spisy PrF MU č. 426 (řada teoretická). ISBN 978-80-210-6006-7. info
  • VOJÁČEK, Ladislav, Jaromír TAUCHEN, Karel MAREK and Lenka DOUBRAVOVÁ. Vývoj soukromého práva na území českých zemí (II. díl) (The Development of Private Law in the Territory of the Czech Republic (Part II.)). 1. vyd. Brno: Masarykova univerzita, 2012, 411 pp. Spisy PrF MU č. 427 (řada teoretická). ISBN 978-80-210-6007-4. info
  • BOBEK, Michal, Pavel MOLEK and Vojtěch (eds.) ŠIMÍČEK. Komunistické právo v Československu. Kapitoly z dějin bezpráví. 1st ed. Brno: Masarykova univerzita, 2009, 1007 pp. ISBN 978-80-210-4844-7. info
Teaching methods
The course takes place in the form of lectures and seminars. The lectures focus on familiarizing the students with the general tendencies in the development of the state and law in the Czech lands. They are thematically accompanied by the seminars which aim for a deeper analysis of some of the lecture topics. The seminars consist of classroom discussions, student presentations and an analysis of selected documents relating to the history of law.
Assessment methods
The course is concluded by an oral examination. If the oral examination cannot take place at the faculty building during the exam period due to epidemiological measures, it will take place remotely via MS Teams. To pass the seminar part of the course, students must successfully complete at least 2 out of 3 written tests in the form of ROPOT (odpovědník) during the semester and one final test at its end. These tests, along with active participation at seminars and other requirements specified by the respective lecturers, constitute the requirements for being admitted to the final oral exam. More detailed information related to the requirements for completing the course may be found in the interactive syllabus.
Language of instruction
Czech
Follow-Up Courses
Further comments (probably available only in Czech)
The course is taught annually.
The course is taught: every week.
Listed among pre-requisites of other courses
Teacher's information
Students with ISP (Individual Study Plan) shall register into the ISP seminar group and should contact the teacher of the group before the beginning of the semester to have the requirements for being admitted to the exam set by them.
The course is also listed under the following terms Spring 2000, Spring 2001, Spring 2002, Spring 2003, Spring 2004, Spring 2005, Spring 2012, Spring 2013, Spring 2014, Spring 2015, Spring 2016, Spring 2017, Spring 2018, Spring 2019, Spring 2020, Spring 2021, Spring 2022, Spring 2023, Spring 2024.
  • Enrolment Statistics (recent)
  • Permalink: https://is.muni.cz/course/law/spring2025/MP201Zk