Judgement – what is it?

A judgement is a court decision. It is most commonly associated with the decisions of the country’s most important courts, i.e., the Constitutional, Supreme, and Supreme Administrative Courts. These can be found online. They are also collectively referred to as case law. On its basis, the court imposes obligations on the parties or communicates the legal status of the matter. Decisions of higher courts are binding for the decisions of lower courts. It shapes the law; if the law does not account for something, the court can clarify, interpret, or supplement the will of the legislator. Similar cases should be decided similarly to ensure the predictability of decisions. If a court wishes to deviate, it should have a good reason and be able to support it with legal arguments. The legal headnote is the most important part of a judgement, in which the fundamental idea of the court decision is summarized.

Practical example

The Constitutional Court decided in its ruling that alternating care should be the preferred form of childcare. This ruling is precisely a judgement with the specific case number sp. zn. I. ÚS 2482/13 dated May 26, 2014.