Retribuční soudnictví 1948 – počátek třídní justice?
Retributive Judiciary 1948. A Beginning of the Class Justice?

Summary/Abstract: After the February 1948 coup, the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia renewed the force of the retribution decree and established extraordinary people’s courts to punish the “real” culprits. From April to December 1948, 3 287 persons were sentenced in subsequent trials in Czechoslovakia, in Bohemian lands alone 2 384 persons. Some important representatives of Nazi security forces were among them, yet, the second retributive justice became one of instruments to take total control over the society. It was put into motion by organs of criminal justice that were purged of unwanted persons after February 1948. From those who stayed in their positions, some opposed the efforts to breach the legal framework of criminal justice, others seized the career opportunity. The very choice of accused already manifested the symptoms of class justice – the prosecutors were repeatedly encouraged not to indict socially weak citizens. The research shows that some Action Committees of National Front and party organisations manifested little interest in the second wave of retributive justice. Manipulated cases with calculated and inconsistent investigation and criminal proceedings can be observed especially in Prague and in regions that did not count to bastions of Communist power. The second wave of retribution justice started to serve as a power instrument from autumn 1948 and contributed to power consolidation of the totalitarian regime.

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