Is judicial reasoning in Central Europe as formalistic as is often claimed? This book takes a detailed look at the Czech Supreme Court and the Supreme Administrative Court and challenges the myth of ‘Central European formalism’ by conducting a new content analysis of the Czech courts of last resort. Offering the first systematic, evidence-based assessment of their reasoning, it reveals the courts’ actual approaches and provides a fresh perspective on the formalism debate. This study bridges the gap between legal theory and empirical legal studies by providing important new evidence on legal reasoning in Czechia, paving the way for further international comparisons. This title is also available as open access.
