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STANDARD OF PROOF APPLIED IN CIVIL PROCEDURE (MAINLY IN THE CZECH REPUBLIC)

STANDARD OF PROOF APPLIED

IN CIVIL PROCEDURE

(MAINLY IN THE CZECH REPUBLIC)

RADIM CHALUPA,

JUDr., Ph.D.,

Associate Professor of the Department of Civil Law of the Faculty of Law

of the Masaryk University (Brno, Czech Republic)

DOI: 10.24031/2226-0781-2019-9-3-154-169

The paper deals with the issue of the definition of the standard of proof, which states that

the standard of proof is a general and abstract legal rule that defines when a fact can be

considered proven. Furthermore, the author deals with the determination of the specific

level when it is possible to say a contentious fact is proven, consequently, with the determination

of the basic rule of standard of proof. In the paper, the author gradually deals

with different concepts that perceive this level in the prevailing likelihood, the likelihood

that overcomes reasonable or other similar doubt, or the likelihood on the level of the certainty

and likelihood stipulated by the legal order on an exactly defined level. The author

is reflecting on these concepts – their advantages and disadvantages (in subchapter 1.3

“Reasonably and Functionally Designed Standard of Proof ”). The author considers the

principle that the standard of proof is to be determined by the rule that the “facts can be

considered proven on which a judge has acquired the internal conviction that they existed

and has not such doubts as to make the conclusion of facts uncertain”. The author also

deals with the normative regulation of the standard of proof in the Czech Republic, referring

in particular to the analysis made by prof. Macur and contends that the factual situation

can be regarded as being reliably established only at a level of probability whose

achievement by the weighing of the evidence is not a doubt of the judge’s conviction of

the existence of the contentious fact which has been the subject of the evidence proceeding

by doubt that would make the factual findings uncertain. The author also deals with the

issue of the standard of proof and its influence on the authority and the factual satisfaction

of a court’sdecision. Expresses his conviction that, in order to the rulings of the courts

to be given due respect, the expectation in court proceedings must be fulfilled. Then the

author analyzes the issue of the standard of proof in relation to the burden of proof and,

subsequently, the standard of proof in relation to the expert examination. In that regard,

the author concludes that an expert report whose conclusion is given in a low or medium

likelihood cannot therefore be regarded as sufficient evidence to prove the contentious

fact, since it does not fulfil the requirement of a reliable finding of the contentious facts

and the provision of a fair and the effective protection of the rights and legitimate interests

of the parties.

Keywords: standard of proof; likelihood; contentious fact; basic rule; prevailing likelihood;

internal conviction; satisfactory ruling; burden of proof.

References

Baumgärtel G., Laumen H.W., Prütting H. Handbuch der Beweislast: Grundlagen.

3rd ed. Cologne: Carl Heymanns, 2016. (In Deutsch)

Chalupa R. Míra důkazu a znalecké zkoumání v řízeních o zaplacení směnečného

nároku. Bulletin advokacie, 2018, vol. 28, no. 6. (In Czech)

Chalupa R. Směnka v soudním řízení. Prague: Leges, 2017. (In Czech)

Hasenböhler F. Das Beweisrecht der ZPO: Allgemeine Bestimmungen, Mitwirkungspflichten

und Verweigerungsrechte. Vol. 1. Zurich: Schulthess, 2015. (In Deutsch)

Lavický P. Důkazní břemeno v civilním řízení soudním. Prague: Leges, 2017. (In Czech)

Macur J. Dokazování a procesní odpovědnost v občanském soudním řízení. Brno:

Univerzita J.E. Purkyně, 1984. (In Czech)

Macur J. Postmodernismus a zjišťování skutkového stavu v civilním soudním řízení.

Brno: Masarykova univerzita, 2001. (In Czech)

Rosenberg L., Schwab K.H., Gottwald P. Zivilprozessrecht. 17th ed. Munich: C.H. Beck,

2010. (In Deutsch)

Information about the author

Chalupa R. (Brno, Czech Republic) – JUDr., Ph.D., Associate Professor of the

Department of Civil Law of the Faculty of Law of the Masaryk University (70 Veveři,

Brno, 611 80, Czech Republic; e-mail: [email protected]).

Recommended citation

Chalupa R. Standard of Proof Applied in Civil Procedure (Mainly in the Czech

Republic). Herald of Civil Procedure, 2019, vol. 9, no. 3, p. 154–169. (In Russian). https://

doi.org/10.24031/2226-0781-2019-9-3-154-169

RADIM CHALUPA