Minister of Justice

JUDr. Otakar Motejl

     After graduating from the Law School of Charles University, Prague in 1955, Mr.Motejl had a brief spell in a solicitor's practice in Banska Bystrica, Slovakia; he then moved his professional practice to Kladno in 1966 and later to Prague. During 1966-1968 he worked as a researcher with the Law Institute of the Ministry of Justice.  He served from May 1968 as Justice of the Supreme Court in Prague but was forced to leave that post in 1970. He resumed his law practice until 1989; he defended, among others, Vladimir Skutina, Jaroslav Koran, Jiri Ruml, the Plastic People band, and other dissidents. In 1989 Mr.Motejl was called to serve on the Federal Assembly's Commission for Supervision over Investigations of the Events of November 17, 1989. From January 23, 1990 to December 31, 1992, he served as President of the Supreme Court of the Czech and Slovak Federal Republic, and from February 25, 1993, he served as President of the Supreme Court of the Czech Republic. Mr.Motejl is not affiliated to any political party.