Czech Republic | Stanislav Křeček elected as the new Public Defender of Rights

Chamber of Deputies of the Czech Republic elected Mr. Stanislav Křeček as the new Public Defender of Rights for the term of six years. Mr. Křeček succeeded Ms. Anna Šabatová and took his office on 19 February 2020.

Stanislav Křeček served as the Deputy of Ombudsman until December 2019. Therefore, he entered the office with the widespread experience.

JUDr. Stanislav Křeček was born on May 20, 1938 in Prague. He graduated from the Industrial School of Geology, the School of Creative Arts and the Faculty of Law of Charles University. After the graduation he became a trainee judge at the Municipal Court in Prague. After being forced to leave his judicial profession due to political reasons in the 1970s, he made his living as an artist, geologist, miner, worker, etc. Since 1990 he has devoted himself to advocacy.

After the change of political regime, he continued with his political activities: as the member of the Czechoslovak Socialist Party, following the removal of the ‘Iron Curtain’, he was co-opted as the Member of the Czech National Council in 1990. Since 1993, he was a member of the Czech Social Democratic Party (ČSSD) and from 1998 to 2013 he served under its auspices as a MP in the Chamber of Deputies. He also held the position of a member of the Municipal Assembly of Prague 2 City Ward in 2006 – 2010.

Within the framework of the parliamentary mandate, he was, inter alia, Vice-Chairman of the Committee on Constitutional and Legal Affairs of the Chamber of Deputies, a member of the Mandate and Immunity Committee, Committee on Petitions, Electoral Committee, Sub-Committee on Human Rights etc.

After being elected as the Deputy Ombudsman on 3 April 2013, he resigned from his parliamentary function and discharged the office for six years. During this time, he placed particular emphasis on issues related to construction procedure, State administration of courts, consumer protection, land-use law and activities of the Land Registry Office, as well as problems related to roads, right to information, misdemeanours and other linked issues.

Also, during his whole career, he has long been involved in the issues of lease relations – in 1991 he became the co-founder and the chairman of the Czech Association of Tenants.

Source: Office of the Public Defender of Rights, Czech Republic