New Family Law: Efforts to Change the Family Law in Czechoslovakia During the People’s Democracy
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RIS BIB ENDNOTEPublication date: 03.12.2025
Cracow Studies of Constitutional and Legal History, Volume 18 (2025), Volume 18, Issue 3, pp. 557-587
https://doi.org/10.4467/20844131KS.25.035.22165Authors
New Family Law: Efforts to Change the Family Law in Czechoslovakia During the People’s Democracy
Family law underwent fundamental material and formal changes during the people’s democratic regime in Czechoslovakia, ruled by the Communist Party from 1948. The government needed a new family law, which, in the spirit of the rhetoric of the time, was supposed to be freed from the influence of the Church. As a result of the new approach, the state started to thoroughly supervise families and familial relationships with a clear goal – to place them under ideological patronage.
The starting point for the transformation of family law (and the entire legal order) was the constitution adopted in May 1948 (Constitutional Law no. 150 of 1948 Coll., commonly known as the “Ninth-of-May Constitution.”). Shortly after, the new Act on Family Law no. 265 of 1949 Coll. came into force and stayed in effect until the socialist recodification and the follow-up of the Constitution of the Czechoslovak Socialist Republic of 1960 which was the Family Act no. 94 of 1963 Coll.
The authors present and analyse the fundamental principles of the people’s democratic Czechoslovak family law, namely:
Act no. 100 of 1960 Coll. (Constitution).
Act no. 150 of 1948 Coll. (Constitution).
Act no. XXXI of 1894 on Marriage Law.
Act on Family Law no. 265 of 1949 Coll.
Act on Family no. 94 of 1963 Coll.
The Code of Civil Procedure of 1950 (Act No. 142 of 1950 Coll. on Proceedings in Civil Legal Matters).
The Legal Measure of the Presidency of the National Assembly no. 61 of 1955 Coll.
Resolution of the Plenum of the Czechoslovak Supreme Court from November 4, 1953, No. Pls 2/53.
Decision of the Regional Court in Košice from March 29, 1949, no. Co 153/49.
Decision of the Regional Court in Ostrava from March 10, 1950, no. Co V 33/50.
Decision of the Regional Court in Ostrava from November 21, 1955, no. Co 334/55.
Decision of the Regional Court in Prague from June 25, 1959, no. 19 Co 506/59.
The Constituent National Assembly of the Czechoslovak Republic 1946–1948. Constituent National Assembly of the Czechoslovak Republic 1948. 5th Session: Explanatory Report to the Draft of the New Czechoslovak Constitution. Digital Library [online]. Print no. 1227. [cit. 25/07/2024]. Available at: https://www.psp.cz/eknih/1946uns/tisky/t1227_06.htm
General Prosecutor’s Office and Supreme Court in Prague: Collection of Czechoslovak Court Decisions, 1951. Prague: General Prosecutor´s Office and Supreme Court in Prague, 1952.
Ministry of Justice: Collection of Decisions of Czechoslovak Courts, 1949. Prague: Ministry of Justice, 1950.
The National Assembly of the Czechoslovak Republic 1949. I. Electoral Period. 4th Session: Explanatory Report on the Draft Act on Family Law. Digital Library [online]. Print 378.
Government Draft Act on Family Law of ... 1949. General Part. [cit. 25/07/2024]. Available at: https://www.psp.cz/eknih/1948ns/tisky/t0378_01.htm; https://www.psp.cz/eknih/1948ns/tisky/t0378_02.htm
The National Assembly of the Czechoslovak Republic 1949. I. Electoral Period. 4th Session: Explanatory Report on the Draft Act on Family Law. Digital Library [online]. Print 378. Government Draft Act on Family Law of ... 1949. Section 8. [cit. 23/07/2024]. Available at: https://www.psp.cz/eknih/1948ns/tisky/t0378_03.htm
The National Assembly of the Czechoslovak Republic 1949. I. Electoral Period. 4th Session: Explanatory Report on the Draft Act on Family Law. Digital Library [online]. Print 378. Government Draft Act on Family Law of ... 1949. Sections 24 and 25. [cit. 22/07/2024]. Available at: https://www.psp.cz/eknih/1948ns/tisky/t0378_03.htm
The National Assembly of the Czechoslovak Republic 1949. I. Electoral Period. 4th Session: Explanatory Report on the Draft Act on Family Law. Digital Library [online]. Print 378. Government Draft Act on Family Law of ... 1949. Section 28. [cit. 23/07/2024]. Available at: https://www.psp.cz/eknih/1948ns/tisky/t0378_03.htm
The National Assembly of the Czechoslovak Republic 1949. I. Electoral Period. 4th Session: Explanatory Report on the Draft Act on Family Law. Digital Library [online]. Print 378. Government Draft Act on Family Law of... 1949. Section 29. [cit. 24/07/2024]. Available at: https://www.psp.cz/eknih/1948ns/tisky/t0378_03.htm
The National Assembly of the Czechoslovak Republic 1949. I. Electoral Period. 4th Session: Explanatory Report on the Draft Act on Family Law. Digital Library [online]. Print 378. Government Draft Act on Family Law of... 1949. Section 30. [cit. 15/08/2024]. Available at: https://www.psp.cz/eknih/1948ns/tisky/t0378_03.htm
The National Assembly of the Czechoslovak Republic 1949. I. Electoral Period. 4th Session: Explanatory Report on the Draft Act on Family Law. Digital Library [online]. Print 378. Government Draft Act on Family Law of... 1949. Section 31. [cit. 28/08/2024]. Available at: https://www.psp.cz/eknih/1948ns/tisky/t0378_03.htm
The National Assembly of the Czechoslovak Republic 1949. I. Electoral Period. 4th Session: Explanatory Report on the Draft Act on Family Law. Digital Library [online]. Print 378. Government Draft Act on Family Law of... 1949. Section 35. [cit. 15/08/2024]. Available at: https://www.psp.cz/eknih/1948ns/tisky/t0378_04.htm
The National Assembly of the Czechoslovak Republic 1948–1954, Speech of the Rapporteur Patschová: Report of the Constitutional-legal Committee on the Government Draft Act (Print 378) on Family Law (Print 382). Digital Library [online]. Stenoprotocols. 37th meeting. Wednesday, December 7, 1949. Print 382. [28/07/2024]. Available at: https://www.psp.cz/eknih/1948ns/stenprot/037schuz/s037001.htm
The National Assembly of the Czechoslovak Republic 1948–1954, Speech of the Ministry of Justice Čepička: Report of the Constitutional-legal Committee on the Government Draft Act (Print 378) on Family Law (Print 382). Digital Library [online]. Stenoprotocols. 37th meeting. Wednesday, December 7, 1949. Print 382. [24/08/2024]. Available at: https://www.psp.cz/eknih/1948ns/stenprot/037schuz/s037004.htm
The National Assembly of the Czechoslovak Republic 1954–1960. Presidency of the National Assembly. 1955. II. Electoral Period. no. 14-P: Explanatory Report on the Legal Measure of the Presidency of the National Assembly no. 61 of 1955 Coll. on the Amendment of Divorce Regulations. Digital Library [online]. Government Draft. [cit. 25/08/2024]. Available at: https://www.psp.cz/eknih/1954ns/predsedn/tisky/t0014_00.htm
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Information: Cracow Studies of Constitutional and Legal History, Volume 18 (2025), Volume 18, Issue 3, pp. 557-587
Article type: Original scientific article
Published at: 03.12.2025
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