The Czech Chamber of Deputies have approved a constitutional amendment that explicitly gives citizens the right to use firearms when necessary to protect one’s life.
The proposal, first submitted by Martin Červíček (ODS) last year, is based on cementing the right to self-protection, which he says is the most basic human right.
“The change thus proposes an explicit right to protection of life, and it stipulates that it may be with weapons.”
“Given the importance of the right to life, which is the most fundamental right, the proposal considers it appropriate to symbolically raise this right to the constitutional level,” the memorandum reads.
The Senate has decided that the country’s Charter of Fundamental Rights and Freedoms should have a provision specifically stating that “the right to defend one’s own life or the life of another person with a weapon is guaranteed under the conditions stipulated by law.”
According to Novinky, the new amendment stems from a petition signed by more than 100,000 individuals, including constitutional officials, hunters, and other gun owners. It is also partially a reaction to the European Commission’s efforts to crack down on gun ownership, limiting the variety of firearms that could be legally owned with the justification of preventing terrorism.
