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Marchal, An. On the Summer School in Pilsen.

It is clear that training of mediators (volunteers and professionals) is of high importance. Much know how and experience has been developed at local, national level. But a strong need was felt to cross national boarders and to learn from others who develop training programs and standards, for example by bringing up a pool of supportive practitioners. For the first time, in June/July 2005 a European Summerschool for trainers and practitioners of victim offender mediation took place in Pilsen (Czech Republic). 24 participants of different countries participated, and worked together on different themes.(author's abstract)

Stern, Pavel and Tkac, Marek and Gjados, Radek and Stern, Pavel. Czech justice and restorative practice.

For the Czech Republic, as for many other countries, the fall of the "iron curtain" in 1989 and the end of the cold war marked a fundamental break: a new beginning and an opportunity to create new ways of doing things. It brought far-reaching reforms in the criminal justice system, initially in Czechoslovakia, and then, following partition, in the Czech Republic. We can say that the modern history of community sanctions and measures, as well as that of the probation and mediation activities, only began in the early 1990s. The first alternative concept was introduced into the Czech criminal law in 1994 as a diversion (conditional cessation of prosecution). This step was revolutionary in this period since it introduced elements of Anglo-Saxon law into the Czech continental legal system. It also created the ideal starting point for initial mediation activity during criminal proceedings. (excerpt)

Stern, Pavel. Probation and Mediation Under One Roof (summary)

In 1998 the Criminal code was upgraded and amended. It introduced more alternative penalties that involved probation and probation supervision. At the same time, the initial experimental projects of alternative provisions were evaluated. These demonstrated excellent outcomes. As a result, the Parliament of the Czech Republic approved a governmental proposal and passed the Probation and Mediation Service Act on January 1st 2001. This was a very satisfactory conclusion to the first stage of the process. As for the Probation and Mediation Service, the process of its establishment was both important and very positive. There was a joint effort made by the universities and non-governmental organizations on the one hand, and the support of the government and the State Department of Justice on the other. Therefore, we can see this process as self-sustaining, as Vaclav Havel described it; as something established upon the initiatives and needs coming from everyday practice. It gained the necessary support of the governmental institutions at the right time and opportunity. We can see this as a good example of cooperation between the government and non-governmental sectors, bringing them together and creating important, shared and consensual change in the application of law and social services in the criminal justice sphere. (excerpt)

Striving for Restorative Justice in the Czech Republic

The Association for Development of Social Work in Criminal Justice (SPJ) is an NGO in the Czech Republic working for criminal justice reform. The group has worked in developing mediation, probation, and community service. This article about their activities was written by Ludmila Hasmanová.