CYIL vol. 15 (2024)

VLADISLAV VNENK LAWYER’S CONFIDENTIALITY (LAWYER’S SECRECY) IN THE CASE LAW OF THE CONSTITUTIONAL COURT OF THE CZECH REPUBLIC, THE EUROPEAN COURT OF JUSTICE AND THE EUROPEAN COURT OF HUMAN RIGHTS Vladislav Vnenk 1 Abstract: T he subject of the paper is an assessment of the current legal regulation of the issue of attorney’s confidentiality (lawyer’s secrecy), as well as the forthcoming amendment of the relevant legal regulation, in the context of the decision-making practice of the European Court of Human Rights, the Court of Justice of the European Union and the Constitutional Court, as well as in the Czech and foreign literature. The paper will also focus on current and controversial issues of attorney-client privilege. Resumé: Předmětem příspěvku je zhodnocení aktuální právní úpravy problematiky advokátní mlčenlivosti, jakož i připravované novelizace rozhodné právní úpravy, a to v kontextu rozhodovací praxe Evropského soudu pro lidská práva, Soudního dvora Evropské unie a Ústavního soudu, jakož i v české a zahraniční odborné literatuře. Příspěvek bude také zaměřen na aktuální a sporné otázky advokátní mlčenlivosti. Keywords : attorney-client privilege, attorney-client confidentiality, right to defence, protection of privacy, fundamental rights and freedoms About the Author: JUDr. Vladislav Vnenk, Ph.D. is an attorney and at the same time a senior lecture at Department of Constitutional and European Law of the University of West Bohemia. 1. Introduction to the topic and legislation Attorney-client confidentiality (attorney-client privilege) 2 constitutes a basic building block and an essential part of the relationship between an attorney and their client, and without the protection of attorney-client privilege it is difficult to imagine the effective implementation of the constitutionally guaranteed right to legal aid, which is guaranteed by Article 37(2) of the Charter of Fundamental Rights and Freedoms, 3 as well as the right to a fair trial. 4 The Constitutional Court has also identified the existence of attorney-client privilege as a ‘ necessary condition for the functioning of a democratic society .’ 5 2 Terminology identical with UHLÍŘ, David. In. KOVÁŘOVÁ, Daniela, HAVLÍČEK, Karel, NĚMEC, Robert, SOKOL, Tomáš, SYKA, Jan, UHLÍŘ, David, ŽIŽLAVSKÝ, Michal. The Law on Advocacy and Statutory Regulations. Commentary . Prague: Wolters Kluwer, a.s., 2017, p. 315. 3 To this, e.g., MELZER, Filip. On the attorney’s confidentiality obligation. Bulletin of Advocacy . no. 1-2/2024, p. 11. 4 KOVÁŘOVÁ, Daniela., HAVLÍČEK, Karel, NĚMEC, Robert, SOKOL, Tomáš, SYKA, Jan, UHLÍŘ, David, ŽIŽLAVSKÝ, Michal. The Law on Advocacy and Statutory Regulations. Commentary . Prague: Wolters Kluwer, a.s., 2017, p. 315; Similarly, SVEJKOVSKÝ, Jaroslav, VYCHOPEŇ, Martin, KRYM, Ladislav, PEJCHAL, Aleš et al. Law on Advocacy . 1st edition. Prague: C. H. Beck, 2012, p. 139. 5 The Constitutional Court’s ruling in Case No. II. ÚS 2894/08 of 28 August 2009. 1 ORCID ID: 0000-0002-9467-7308.

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