Press Release
2023/6/24

TCC Delegation visits the Constitutional Court of the Czech Republic, Strengthening Bilateral Ties Between Judiciaries 

    TAIPEI, June 24, 2023. On June 21, 2023, Chief Justice and Pr esident of the Judicial Yuan, Dr. Tzong-Li HSU led the Taiwan Constitutional Court (TCC) delegation in an official visit to the Constitutional Court of the Czech Republic (Ústavní soud České republiky) upon the invitation of Dr. Pavel Rychetský, President of the Constitutional Court of the Czech Republic. The TCC delegation, including Justice Jau-Yuan HWANG, Justice Tzung-Jen TSAI, and essential clerks of the TCC and the Judicial Yuan, was received by President Rychetský, Vice President Vojtěch Šimíček, and Justice Josef Baxa on behalf of the Constitutional Court of the Czech Republic. 
    During their meeting, Chief Justice HSU and President Rychetský introduced the history of the constitutional judiciary, the competence of their courts, and the constitutional court's role within the judicial system of the two countries. They also shared their experiences in exercising jurisdictions and adjudicating cases, with a special focus on judicial review of executive measures countering the COVID-19 pandemic. This visit marks the first official visit between the Taiwan Constitutional Court and the Constitutional Court of the Czech Republic, which can be seen as a milestone for exchanges between judicial institutions of the two countries that share the value of liberal democracy and constitutionalism. Later that afternoon, the TCC delegation also visited the Supreme Court and Supreme Administrative Court of the Czech Republic. The TCC delegation met with President Petr Angyalossy of the Supreme Court and President Karel Šimka of the Supreme Administrative Court. During their meeting, they exchanged views on the relationship between the constitutional court and supreme courts and the implementation of constitutional review in their respective countries.
    On June 22, the TCC delegation paid an official visit to the Senate of the Parliament (Senát Parlamentu České republiky) and was received by the President of the Senate of the Czech Republic Milos Vystrčil, Vice President of the Senate Jiri Drahoš, and the Chairperson of the Standing Senate Commission on the Constitution of the Czech Republic and Parliamentary Procedures Senator Zdeněk Hraba.
    In addition to the visit to government officials, the TCC delegation also visited the Faculties of Law of Palacký University and Charles University, during which Justice Jau-Yuan HWANG delivered respectively a speech under the title “Same-Sex Marriage in Taiwan: From Court to Referendum to Legislation,” sharing his view on the developments of same-sex marriage in Taiwan and J.Y. Interpretation No.748.
    The TCC believes that these visits may further strengthen exchanges and facilitate cooperation between the judicial institutions of Taiwan and the Czech Republic, which are undoubtedly important partners that share the values of democracy and human rights.

Related Links:
1.Press release from the Constitutional Court of the Czech Republic: https://www.usoud.cz/en/current-affairs/delegation-of-the-taiwanese-constitutional-court-visited-the-constitutional-court-of-the-czech-republic
2.Press release from the Supreme Court of the Czech Republic: https://www.nsoud.cz/Judikatura/ns_web.nsf/web/Proverejnostamedia~TiskovezpravyNejvyssihosoudu~Nejvyssi_soud_navstivila_delegace_tchajwanskeho_Ustavniho_soudu~?open&lng=CZ
3.Press release from the Senate of the Parliament of the Czech Republic: https://www.senat.cz/cinnost/galerie.php?aid=36393