On 7 August 2023, the term of office of two Justices of the Constitutional Court – Justice Ludvík David and President Pavel Rychetský – ended. The fact that their last day in office was also framed by the presence of the President of the Republic at the Constitutional Court in Brno underlines the importance of both of them to the constitutional judiciary. 

Justice Ludvík David has always been characterised by prudence, analytical thinking, a deep intellectual capacity and humility. He was very consistent as a judge, yet he was exceptionally kind and humble and did not seek to draw attention to himself. I remember that from the beginning of his term he stood firmly by the fact that a judge cannot absolve himself of responsibility for his decisions and, especially as the Justice of the Constitutional Court, he must be able to present and defend them also before the representatives of the public and the media. As a justice-rapporteur, he prepared almost three thousand decisions and was the author of 145 senate judgments and 31 plenary judgments. Not only for this, but also for his ability to listen carefully, speak eloquently, elegantly and knowledgeably and for stand his ground he deserves great respect and admiration.

It is almost unnecessary to introduce Pavel Rychetský, who has become the personification of the Constitutional Court for the public over the past twenty years. Despite having been an educator, dissident, corporate lawyer, Attorney General, government minister, senator and advocate in the past, his main role and mission in life was being the Justice and President of the Constitutional Court. Those who warned twenty years ago that as a politician he would politicize the Constitutional Court were wrong. On the contrary, he dug a wide moat between the world of politics and the Constitutional Court and managed to shield his colleagues from the sometimes very unpleasant pressures and negative emotions that he turned on himself.  Even though he was the President – therefore an official – of the Court, he never stopped actively judging, and I know that the sad human stories contained in the court files worried him much more than the criticism of politicians or the hateful cries on social media. As a brilliant speaker and diplomat, he has built up an extensive network of international contacts and deservedly became the head of the Conference of European Constitutional Courts for the period of four years (2017-2021), being elected unanimously by his counterparts. He has brought the Constitutional Court to the 21st century and thanks to him, the Constitutional Court is modern and effective institution, which enjoys a deep public confidence. The Constitutional Court says goodbye to a convinced European, a socially-minded liberal, an excellent lawyer and one of the greatest personalities this country has had in modern history. Thank you, Mr President! 

Vlastimil Göttinger
Secretary General of the Constitutional Court

Justice of the Constitutional Court Ludvík David

President of the Constitutional Court Pavel Rychetský