This year marks the 10th anniversary of the time when the Anti-Discrimination Act entered into force and when the Public Defender of Rights was also given the role of the national equality body pursuant to the European Union legislation. Since the Defender lacks the power to represent victims of discrimination in court, lawyers play a key role in this respect. The Defender has prepared a document to help lawyers with this task. In addition to recommendations and a summary of specific cases that the Defender referred to the Pro Bono Aliance to arrange for legal representation, the text further includes an analysis of a survey focusing on the assessment of the lawyers’ experience with representing victims of discrimination.
The present recommendation is not, nor can it be, an exhaustive list of instructions on how to represent victims of discrimination in court. The topic is too vast, individual disputes differ greatly and there is little available case law to rely on. Therefore, the recommendation is more likely to serve as the first step on a path towards effective representation of victims of discrimination.
The recommendation was presented at a professional workshop in Prague on 23 September 2019. The Defender has sent the recommendation to the Czech Bar Association, selected lawyers and non-profit organisations.
The full recommendation is available in Czech and a press release in English outlining the main points can be found on the Public Defender of Rights' website.
The recommendation was presented at a professional workshop in Prague on 23 September 2019. The Defender has sent the recommendation to the Czech Bar Association, selected lawyers and non-profit organisations.
The full recommendation is available in Czech and a press release in English outlining the main points can be found on the Public Defender of Rights' website.
