Last autumn, she succeeded in the elections as an independent candidate for the Motorists and embarked on a new phase of her professional life – as a member of parliament. Renata Vesecká intends to continue her legal practice, maintaining that every MP should also have a civilian profession in order not to lose touch with their field. At the same time, she faces a number of tasks in her new role, including pushing for a reduction in the age of criminal responsibility for juveniles. “Serious crimes in this group are unfortunately increasing,” she says.
As a lawyer, how do you perceive political debates on legal issues? Do they sometimes make you smile? Can the worlds of law and politics be constructively connected?
One could say, somewhat figuratively, that law and the judiciary are one vessel, while law and politics are communicating vessels. Members of parliament create laws – they create the legal framework that subsequently influences the functioning of the judiciary. However, it is certainly not right when politicians claim the authority to interpret the law, which sometimes happens. That role belongs exclusively to the courts. The same applies when politicians attempt to impose specific decisions within the judiciary. In short, both worlds are interconnected and influence each other. At the same time, it is essential that they respect each other’s competences. If that does not happen, mutual attacks and criticism follow, which in turn raises doubts among the public about both the judiciary and politicians. The erosion of public trust in the legal system in recent years cannot be ignored – and it damages both sides.
There is currently discussion about merging both large and smaller regional courts in order to reduce costs. At what stage are these considerations, and what is your personal view?
The Czech Republic has a relatively dense judicial network, which was largely established at the turn of the 1960s and 1970s. This means that district courts are located even in smaller towns, typically staffed by four to five judges. It is a rather inefficient arrangement, as operating such courts is financially demanding. The Ministry of Justice is therefore considering merging smaller district courts. However, this is still only at the stage of deliberation – no concrete legislative proposal exists yet, and there will certainly be extensive discussions with judicial staff. I would say that courts in larger cities, such as Prague, are closer to such a decision, as merging district courts there into a single entity ensuring more efficient and cost-effective operation would not be such a problem.
Statistics show that aggression among juveniles has been rising in recent years, while the age threshold is decreasing. Is lowering the age of criminal responsibility the only solution, or is a broader systemic change needed, including greater psychological and sociological capacity?
A comprehensive approach is essential – both improving existing mechanisms and introducing a new framework for lowering the age of criminal responsibility. The fact is that violence among minors and juveniles is increasing, especially among those aged 15–18. The number of violent crimes in this category is also rising – robberies, rapes, and even murders. These are not increases in the hundreds; in the case of murders, the numbers are still small – for example, one case the year before last and six this year – but it is nonetheless a clear warning that current measures are insufficient. That is why, together with the Ministry of Justice, we are preparing legislation that would allow perpetrators of such serious crimes to be prosecuted at a lower age – around thirteen to fourteen. This approach is already in place in neighboring countries such as Germany, Austria, Poland, and Slovakia, where the threshold ranges between twelve and fourteen. I believe this is an issue that should be addressed legislatively, because punishment does not only have a repressive function, but also an educational and preventive one.
What professional priorities have you set for yourself in the near future?
They relate precisely to the areas we have discussed. I would like to achieve a reduction in the age of criminal responsibility to thirteen to fourteen. At the same time, I believe it would be appropriate to seek stricter penalties for juveniles in the most serious crimes, particularly murder. At present, the maximum sentence is ten years, even in cases of multiple murders, which I consider insufficient. Finally, I also want to focus on raising the minimum sentence for animal cruelty.
Do you rely on reason and objectivity in your work? And do you always manage to maintain that, or do you sometimes lose your temper?
I would say that I am someone who does not give in to emotions. That said, there are aspects of parliamentary work that do bother me. In particular, personal attacks stemming from political rivalry – in my view, these have no place in politics. I am also frustrated by a certain lack of productivity caused by the theatrics of some politicians at the podium. Instead of addressing substantive issues – above all legislation – they engage in philosophical or personal debates. This could be addressed through a new set of parliamentary rules of procedure. Another matter is the culture of behavior – that concerns every individual, and everyone must reflect on it personally.
The author is a staff writer for Deník
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Renata Vesecká (born March 27, 1960, in Prague) is a former Supreme Public Prosecutor, currently a lawyer and Chair of the Constitutional and Legal Affairs Committee of the Chamber of Deputies of the Parliament of the Czech Republic.
She graduated from the Faculty of Law at Charles University in Prague and began working for the prosecution service in 1984. After completing her exams, she served as an investigator at the District Prosecutor’s Office in Pardubice and, beginning in 1988, as Deputy District Prosecutor (later District Prosecutor) in Havlíčkův Brod.
In 2000, she became the Regional Public Prosecutor in Hradec Králové. On September 30, 2005, she was appointed acting head of the Prosecutor General’s Office, and on November 9 was officially appointed Prosecutor General. She resigned on February 28, 2011, and has been practicing law independently since April of that year, except for 2014–2015, when she served as Vice-Chair of the Energy Regulatory Office.
She taught at the University of Finance and Administration in Prague in the Department of Public and European Law.
In the 2025 parliamentary elections, she was elected as a non-partisan candidate on the Motorists’ ticket in the Hradec Králové Region.
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