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Data Retention in the Czech Republic

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European Constitutional Courts towards Data Retention Laws

Part of the book series: Law, Governance and Technology Series ((ISDP,volume 45))

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Abstract

The Czech Republic was among the few EU Member States that had implemented the Data Retention Directive twice. First, the statutory implementation into the Electronic Communications Act had been taken down by the Czech Constitutional Court mainly because of insufficient safeguards to the protection of privacy and personal data. The risks to privacy had been considered by the Czech Constitutional Court so severe and disproportionate that the invalidation of respective provisions had immediate effect. Second, the statutory implementation of the Data Retention Directive that contains various substantive and procedural safeguards is currently being reviewed by the Czech Constitutional Court. A decision is expected around the end of 2018.

The text provides for a systematic analysis of constitutional issues related to data retention in the Czech Republic. It focuses on reasons and impact of the first annulling decision of the Czech Constitutional Court and it offers, besides analysis of respective constitutional argumentation, broader perspective of specific understanding of proportionality of fundamental rights in a post-communist EU Member State.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    See Act No. 151/2000 Sb. on Telecommunications.

  2. 2.

    See § 85 of the Telecommunication Act.

  3. 3.

    See Act No. 127/2005 Sb. on Electronic Communications.

  4. 4.

    See Directive 2006/24/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 15 March 2006 on the retention of data generated or processed in connection with the provision of publicly available electronic communications services or of public communications networks and amending Directive 2002/58/EC (hereafter: the Directive).

  5. 5.

    See Peterka (2009).

  6. 6.

    See Myška (2013), p. 66. This monograph is up to date the only available complex Czech doctrinal study of data retention.

  7. 7.

    For an English language overview of the development of retention provisions in the Czech telecommunications legislation, see Polčák et al. (2016). Available also for free download at cyber.law.muni.cz. Accessed 9 April 2019.

  8. 8.

    See Act No. 247/2008 Sb., amending the Electronic Communications Act.

  9. 9.

    See Ministerial Decree No. 485/2005 Sb. on the scope of traffic and localisation data, retention periods and form and procedures of their transfers to entitled public sector bodies.

  10. 10.

    For more details, see Polčák et al. (2016).

  11. 11.

    For a comprehensive overview of the impact of communist rule on the Czech society and system of law, see Bobek et al. (2009).

  12. 12.

    See, e.g. Iuridicum Remedium, ISP: Co dělají provideři a telefonní operátoři s našimi daty? Studie praxe poskytovatelů internetových a telekomunikačních služeb (ISP). www.bigbrotherawards.cz. Accessed 20 April 2010. See also Vobořil (2011).

  13. 13.

    See, e.g. Cibulka (2013).

  14. 14.

    See, e.g., Pokorný (2012).

  15. 15.

    See, Herzeg (2010), p. 22.

  16. 16.

    Alexy (2014), p. 51.

  17. 17.

    See Polčák (2012).

  18. 18.

    See § 27 of the decision.

  19. 19.

    See Cooley (1988).

  20. 20.

    See the Supreme Court case Union Pac. Ry. Co. v. Botsford, 141 U.S. 250, 251 (1891).

  21. 21.

    For a proper reference, see Warren and Brandeis (1890–1891), p. 193.

  22. 22.

    See Polčák and Svantesson (2017).

  23. 23.

    See § 36.

  24. 24.

    See § 44.

  25. 25.

    See part VIII Obiter Dictum, §§ 55–57.

  26. 26.

    For complex case comments see, e.g., Myška (2011), p. 43 or Molek (2012), p. 338.

  27. 27.

    See §§ 47 to 49.

  28. 28.

    See §§ 50 and 51.

  29. 29.

    See Jamborová (2012), p. 61.

  30. 30.

    See, e.g. Novák (2011), p. 21.

  31. 31.

    See § 59.

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Acknowledgement

This chapter is based on a research funded by project No. CZ.02.1.01/0.0/0.0/16_019/0000822.

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  1. Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic

    Radim Polčák

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  1. Radim Polčák
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Correspondence to Radim Polčák .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Constitutional Law, Faculty of Law and Administration, University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland

    Marek Zubik

  2. Department of Constitutional Law, Faculty of Law and Administration, University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland

    Jan Podkowik

  3. Department of Constitutional Law, Faculty of Law and Administration, University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland

    Robert Rybski

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Polčák, R. (2021). Data Retention in the Czech Republic. In: Zubik, M., Podkowik, J., Rybski, R. (eds) European Constitutional Courts towards Data Retention Laws. Law, Governance and Technology Series(), vol 45. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-57189-4_7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-57189-4_7

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