The Free Will of Professor Karel Eliáš

The Václav Havel Library cordially invites you to an evening dedicated to Prof. Dr. JUDr. Karel Eliáš, a leading Czech lawyer, civil law expert and chief architect of the new Civil Code, who celebrated his 70th birthday this year. Professor Eliáš’s legal philosophy is based on the primacy of private law over public law, the protection of the private subjective rights of individuals and minimal intervention by the state in the private sphere. He sees these principles as the foundation of a free civil society and a vibrant democratic order. The evening will recognise his extraordinary contribution to legal science and Czech society, and offer a reflection on how his ideas can inspire today's legal and civic life. Taking part in the discussion will be Professor Eliáš and Professor Kateřina Ronovská, a constitutional judge and vice-president of the Constitutional Court of the Czech Republic. Tomáš Němeček will moderate.