Gov't decides not to postpone introduction of civil code

Prague, Feb 27 (CTK) - The Czech government did not adjourn yesterday the date set for a new Civil Code taking effect (January 2014) and it approved a package of bills reacting to the code and other changes to private law, PM Petr Necas and Justice Minister Pavel Blazek (both Civic Democrats, ODS), have said.

The government was debating in early February the possibility of adjourning the date.

The senior opposition Social Democrats (CSSD) were disappointed at the government's decision yesterday.

"We are convinced that the launch of the Civil Code next January may cause a number of serious complications, uncertainties and confusion from the point of view of the operation of our legal system and people's ability to obtain justice," CSSD chairman Bohuslav Sobotka said.

He said the CSSD would like the code to be put into force one or two years later in order to avert "confusion and chaos."

Blazek's predecessor, Jiri Pospisil (ODS), on the contrary, welcomed the government's decision.

"The new Civil Code strongly reinforces the rights of every citizen and I am convinced that with a distance of several years, we will consider this step the most important and most beneficial reform by Necas's government," Pospisil wrote on his Facebook profile.

He said the old code that came into force under the communist regime will cease to be valid, which also Necas hailed.

The government also discussed yesterday an accompanying law to the Civil Code, an amendment to the insolvency law and the civic court order and a bill on special court proceedings.

Blazek said it has not yet been clear which courts will be in charge of which particular points of the code.

The Chamber of Deputies rejected in early February the Communists' (KSCM) proposal to adjourn the new Civil Code by one year for experts as well as laymen to be able to better get acquainted with the new extensive document.