Basic Information
The Faculty of Law of Palacký University continues Olomouc's centuries-old tradition of higher legal education. Its modern history began in 1991 when it was established as the first post-revolutionary law faculty in former Czechoslovakia.
Its mission is to promote the values of freedom, democracy, and civil society. It was awarded the Hannah Arendt Prize in 1996 for its mission in this field.
Of all the law faculties in the country, it offers the most sophisticated system of skills and practical education, which starts in the first year. Its legal clinics are among the top in Europe.
The faculty is a laureate of the State Security Council Award for significant contribution to the field of security policy of the Czech Republic for 2020. The State Security Council has thus recognized the long-term and progressive work of the faculty in security issues and the field of international humanitarian and operational law.
Statistical data
as of 31 October 2023
Total amount of students: 1779
Number of graduates in 2022/2023: 225
Total number of employees: 156
Faculty History
Law has been taught at the University in Olomouc from as far back as 1679. The Faculty of Law was established for the first time in 1778 (as the Directorate of Legal Studies at the Olomouc lyceum). It was established as a full-fledged in the re-established University in 1833.
The onset of neo-absolutism, as well as a significant decrease in the number of students, led to the disestablishment of the Faculty of Arts in 1851; the Faculty of Law was closed at the beginning of the school year 1855–1856. Emperor Franz Joseph I subsequently, disbanded the entire University in Olomouc by a decree of 17 May 1860. The only constituents remaining in Olomouc were the independent Faculty of Theology (until the closing of Czech universities by the Nazis in November 1939), and temporarily (until the school year 1873–1874) the study of medicine-surgery.
Repeated attempts at re-establishment of the University in Olomouc followed; these were successful in 1946. Four faculties were established by law: the Faculty of Theology, the Faculty of Law, the Faculty of Medicine, and the Faculty of Arts. The Faculty of Law only received its first students forty years later, after the Velvet Revolution.
A number of people deserve credit for the opening of the Faculty of Law in 1991, in particular the former Rector of the University Josef Jařab, as well as the first Dean of the re-opened Faculty of Law Miroslav Liberda and his preparatory implementation team.
In a symbolic manner, the seat of the new Faculty of Law was situated in the buildings of the former District Committee of the Communist Party, where it has been located ever since.
Deans in the modern history and their terms in office
doc. JUDr. Miroslav Liberda (1991-1998)
doc. Ing. Jiří Blažek, CSc. (1998-2001)
JUDr. Mag. Iur. Michal Malacka, Ph.D., MBA (2001-2007)
prof. JUDr. Milana Hrušáková, CSc. (2008-2016)
JUDr. Zdenka Papoušková, Ph.D. (2016-2020)
doc. JUDr. Václav Stehlík, LL.M., Ph.D. (since January 2020)