This Country Profile provides a basic overview of the legal history and institutional structures of the Czech Republic/Czechia (Ceska Republika/Cesko), based on research produced by GlobaLex at NYU Law School and the Library of Congress. Under the Czech Republic's Constitution, Islamic law (sharīʿa or fiqh) has no legal status.
Country Background
The Czech Republic is a landlocked country located in Central Europe, between Germany, Poland, Slovakia, and Austria. The capital of the Czech Republic is Prague. The official language is Czech. The country’s population in 2015 was approximately 10.6 million. The Czech Republic is one of the least religious countries in the world. According to the 2011 census, about 34% of the population is non-religious, 10% is Roman Catholic, 1% belongs to another Christian denomination, 3% has a different religion, 7% believes in God but is not affiliated with any particular religion, and 45% did not answer the question.
Constitution & Legal Structure
The Czech Republic is referred to as a parliamentary republic, in which sovereignty belongs to the people and the Constitution is the supreme law of the land. The Constitution was ratified in 1992, and the following year, Czechoslovakia peacefully split into the Czech Republic and Slovakia and the Constitution went into effect. The Czech Constitution was most recently amended in 2013. A referendum passed to change the country's name to Czechia, but the name has not caught on and the country is often still referred to as the Czech Republic. The system of government is based on principles of separation and checks and balances and has three branches: legislative, executive, and judicial. The Czech Republic is a member state of the European Union.
Constitutional Status of Islamic Law
Islamic law has no constitutional status in the Czech Republic.
Jurisdiction(s) of Islamic Law
Islamic law has no official jurisdiction of operation in the Czech Republic.
Dominant School of Islamic Law
The Czech Republic has no official school of Islamic law.
Sources of Law for Legal Research
Official Publications
Unofficial Databases
References:
For an extended list of legal resources for this country, see the Library of Congress’s Research Guide, and for a narrative review, see the GlobaLex Foreign Law Research Guide (most updated version, where available). The Constitution is available in the LOC Guide in its original language and at Constitute in English translation. For full versions of past constitutions, amendments, and related legislation, see HeinOnline World Constitutions Illustrated or Oxford Constitutions of the World [subscription required for each].