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16.-18. 6. 2025

European Council for High Ability (ECHA) Conference in Karlstad

A friendly atmosphere and plenty of opportunities to share the results of one’s own research – that was ECHA 2025 in Karlstad. “The organisers obviously aimed to encourage PhD students and emerging researchers to contribute to and gain as much as possible from the conference – they arranged a workshop for us, mingled with us in the audience, and showed genuine interest in the details of our projects. During the poster session, Prof Tracy Riley, a keynote speaker from New Zealand, stopped by and immediately and openly started talking about what she had enjoyed about my oral presentation. The chair of the organising committee, Prof Valerie Margrain, came up asking if we had already published the results and suggested several suitable journals,” says Jana.

16.-18. 6. 2025

European Council for High Ability (ECHA) and International group for Mathematical Creativity and Giftedness (IgMCG) conference

In mid-June, combined European Council for High Ability (ECHA) and International group for Mathematical Creativity and Giftedness (IgMCG) conference was held in Karlstad, Sweden. On this occasion, Mgr. Jana Pleskotová presented a case study exploring the experience of gifted teenagers attending mainstream lower-secondary schools. The results of the research, co-authored by a member of our institute, Mgr. Hana Sirotková, attracted a relatively wide audience and became the subject of interesting discussions enriched by an international context.

20. 6. 2025

Analysing length of stay disparities in inpatient forensic psychiatric care: A cross-sectional study in Czechia

A member of our institute, Dr. Jiří Závora, is co-author of an article published in the International Journal of Mental Health Systems. The study deals with the length of stay in inpatient forensic psychiatric care in the Czech Republic. It is a study on a cohort of 765 patients from the 8 largest hospitals in the Czech Republic. Differences between hospitals were found, differences related to the type of diagnosis as well as lengthening or shortening of length of stay depending on the type of treatment.

22. 5. 2025

RESULTS OF THE VIDIMATION EXPERIMENT

In 2017, we conducted an experiment to test the quality of the verification. The results were shocking. Offices verified the forgery in 77 % of the cases! We repeated the experiment in June 2024. We wanted to give the time to improve. The offies did, but not very significantly. In the second experiment, the forgery was verified 60 % of the time!

To educate the public about the danger behind such a high error rate, we created a series of illustrative videos called The Czech verification way. We will also be publishing an expert article in a scientific journal. Last but not least, we will inform the public through the media.

15. 4. 2025

Methodology for evaluation of attestation case studies of future clinical psychologist

The procedure of the expert, which is, according to the proposal of a member of our institute, Dr. Jiří Závora, the principle concept of reviewability of expert opinions in the new legal regulation of expert activities, has been newly implemented also in the Methodology for the evaluation of attestation case studies of future clinical psychologists. Dr. Závora participated in this methodology as a consultant. Future experts in the field of clinical psychology will thus learn the procedure of an expert already in their pre-attestation training. It is expected not only to improve the general quality of the practice of clinical psychologists in the Czech Republic, but also to improve the work of future experts in this extremely important branch of justice. The prism of the expert’s procedure will clarify the justification of the choice of diagnostic methods and their lege artis application.

31. 3. 2025

Workshop for law firm

A member of our Institute, Dr. Jiří Závora, trained the litigation team of one of the leading Czech law firms, PRK Partners, s.r.o. The subject of the interpretation was the expert’s procedure according to the new regulation of expert activity in relation to the reviewability of the expert’s report.

19. 2. 2025

Unique study on the causes of juvenile delinquency – girl

Members of our institute, Dr. Závora and Mgr. Skořepa, are co-authors of a recently published study in an impacted scientific periodical.

This is a unique qualitative research study that examines the experiences of adolescents from otherwise functional families and environments who nevertheless engage in delinquent behavior. The most difficult part of this research has been to locate these extremely specific cases (boys and girls) and to understand this specific experience.

15. 2. 2025

EXPERT STAMP – 6. Conclusion

We have published the last episode of our podcast Expert Stamp, in which we focused on another part of the expert report “Conclusion”.

You can listen to the new episode on our Spotify and YouTube.

12. 2. 2025

Wechsler Intelligence Test for Children

IFSP member, Mgr. Hana Sirotková, collaborated on the Czech adaptation of the 5th version of the Wechsler Intelligence Test for Children (WISC-V^uk). The author of the Czech adaptation of this test is Dr. Dana Krejčířová. It is an important diagnostic tool that has been waiting for its update for a long time.

7. 2. 2025

Workshop: Expert opinion as evidence

On Friday, we trained attorneys in a practical workshop on: Expert opinion as evidence. The workshop had a very constructive atmosphere in which the rich experience of the attorneys was shared. Dr. Zavora explained the difference between an expert’s procedure and a report on that procedure, by which the expert demonstrates how he or she has solved the expert question.

27. 1. 2025

EXPERT STAMP – 5. Justification

We have published the 5th episode of our podcast Expert Stamp, in which we focused on another element of the expert report, “Justification”.

You can listen to the new episode on our Spotify and YouTube.

20. 1. 2025

Expert Forensic Science

A member of our institute, Mgr. Bohdana Nováková, gave an invited lecture at the Expert Forensic Science conference held on 21-22 January in Mikulov. She presented the procedure of a forensic expert from the perspective of a lawyer.

2. 1. 2025

EXPERT STAMP – 4. Opinion

We have published the 4. episode of our podcast Expert Stamp, in which we focused on another part of the expert report “Opinion”.

You can listen to the new episode on our Spotify and YouTube.

21. 12. 2024

A unique study on the causes of juvenile delinquency

Members of our institute, Dr. Závora and Mgr. Skořepa, are co-authors of a study accepted by an impacted scientific periodical.
The study deals with a case of delinquent behaviour of an adolescent girl in whom the usual causes of such behaviour are not present. This is a long-term project of our institute to publish two thematically similar case studies (a boy and a girl). In this case, the second study is of a girl who committed multiple thefts. This is unique qualitative research that explores the experiences of children from otherwise functional families and environments who nevertheless commit large-scale delinquent acts. The most difficult part of this project was finding juvenile delinquent who come from functional families.

18. 12. 2024

EXPERT STAMP – 3. Data collection

We have published the 3rd episode of our podcast Expert Stamp, in which we focused on another element of the expert report “Data collection”.

You can listen to the new episode on our Spotify and YouTube.

29. 11. 2024

Podcast recording Expert Stamp

The next episodes of the Expert Stamp podcast have been recorded. Dr. Závora together with doc. Dufek and dr. Dřínovský from FAST VUT and doc. Krabec from VŠE, they explain the next steps of the expert procedure, based on their experiences from examinations of candidates for registration in the list of experts. The podcast may also be useful for already appointed experts, attorneys, judges, etc.

22. 11. 2024

EXPERT STAMP – 2. Data sources

We have published Part 2 of our Expert Stamp podcast, in which we discuss the requirement for “data sources” in the expert report.

You can listen to this episode on our Spotify and YouTube.

7. 11. 2024

Wo rkshop: Expert opinion as evidence (from the lawyer´s poin of view)

We have prepared a seminar in which we will explain the compulsory procedure of the expert to attorneys and law clerks. Participants will undergo practical training in which they will acquire the ability to recognize the deficiencies of an expert’s report that prevent its reviewability.
The seminar will be led by a member of our Institute, Dr. Jiří Závora, the author of the expert’s procedure in the new regulation of expert activities.

20. 10. 2024

EXPERT STAMP – 1. Assignment of the expert opinion

Together with the Faculty of Civil Engineering at Brno University of Technology, we have produced a podcast miniseries dedicated to new candidates for the expert stamp. The podcast features 4 members or chairmen of the examination committees, doc. Zdeněk Dufek, doc. Tomáš Krabec, Dr. Lukáš Dřínovský and a member of our institute, Dr. Jiří Závora, who is the author of the new expert witness procedure. The expert procedure is intended to improve the reviewability of expert reports. All four experts are prominent personalities in the field of Czech expert witnessing with unique experience.

You can already listen to the first episode on Spotify and YouTube.

17. 9. 2024

The guidelines of Prosecutor General´s Office

A member of our institute, Dr. Závora, has been involved in consulting on the guidelines of commissioning of sample questions for psychiatric experts in criminal proceedings, prepared by the Prosecutor General´s Office. The methodology is of particular importance when commissioning expert reports in the field of health care, branch of psychiatry, which are to address the issue of the offender’s sanity. The aim of the guidelines is to improve the practice of law enforcement authorities and psychiatric experts in the performance of their expert activities.

29. 8. 2024

European Council for High Ability (ECHA) Conference

At the end of August, the 19th European Council for High Ability (ECHA) Conference took place in Thessaloniki. At the conference, the lead author, Jana Pleskotová, presented a case study of a ten-year-old boy with exceptional ability. The co-authors were members of the Institute, Hana Sirotková and Jiří Závora. The poster was well received. Among other conference participants, our poster caught the attention of the president of ECHA and the organisers of the next ECHA 2025 conference to be held in Karlstad. Thanks to Jana for a great representation!

26. 8. 2024

A unique study on the causes of juvenile delinquency

Members of our institute, Dr. Závora and Mgr. Skořepa, are co-authors of a recently published study in an impacted scientific periodical. The study deals with a case of delinquent behavior of an adolescent in whom the usual causes of such behavior are not present. This is a long-term project of our institute to publish two thematically similar case studies (a boy and a girl). This is a unique qualitative research study that explores the experiences of children from otherwise functional families and environments who nevertheless engage in extensive delinquent behaviors. The most difficult part of the research is to find these extremely specific cases and understand this specific experience.

6. 5. 2024

Award for the best law journal in the Czech and Slovak Republics

The scientific law journal AUCI (SCOPUS) is competing for the award of the best law journal in CZ and SK. A member of our institute, Dr. Jiří Závora, last year published in AUCI a theoretical study on the new principle of reviewability of expert evidence, which he authored. Structural evidence was inserted into the current regulation of expert evidence on the basis of a study from 2017, which Dr. Závora prepared at the request of the Ministry of Justice.

30. 4. 2024

Dr. Jiří Závora lectured on expert witness procedure at the Faculty of Law of Charles University

A member of our Institute, Dr. Jiří Závora, lectured on the procedure of an expert according to the new regulation of expert activities in the fields of psychology and identification of the writer at the Faculty of Law of Charles University. The lecture took place within the course of forensic expert witnessing, which is conducted by JUDr. Martin Richter, Ph.D. from the Department of Criminal Law of the Faculty of Law of Charles University.

23. 4. 2024

Lecture for students of the Law Faculty of Charles University

A member of our institute, Dr. Jiří Závora, lectured students of the Faculty of Law of Charles University on the issues of the expert’s procedure in the current regulation of expert activities.

18. 4. 2024

Workshop for officials of the Ministry of Justice

A member of our institute, Mgr. Hana Sirotková, led a workshop for officials of the Ministry of Justice, Insolvency Department and the Department of Court Experts and Interpreters on 18 April. The workshop focused on mapping the strengths of individuals and using them within the team.

4. 4. 2024

Meeting of the Advisory Council of the Ministry of Justice

A member of our Institute, Dr. Jiří Závora, was an invited guest at the meeting of the Advisory Board for Economics of the Ministry of Justice of the Czech Republic. The discussion was held on the issues of the application of the expert’s procedure in the economic sectors of expertise.

27. 3. 2024

Educational event for expert psychiatrists

Members of our institute, Dr. Závora and Mgr. Skořepa, participated in an educational event of the Judicial Academy for psychiatric experts. The key topic was the reviewable procedure of the expert in solving professional questions concerning the sanity of offenders. The main speakers were Dr. Pleva and Dr. Tejnská from the NSZ.

20. 3. 2024

Dr. Jiří Závora was examing new applicants for expert authorization at the Ministry of Justice

A member of our institute, Dr. Jiří Závora, was testing new applicants for expert authorization as a methodologist at the Ministry of Justice for the fourteenth time. This time it was in the field of fire protection. This extremely important forensic field was represented in the examination committee by Doc. Ing. Petr Kučera, PhD. and the other member of the commission Mgr. Radek Kislinger.

You can find an animation and training on the expert witness procedure on our YouTube channel.

5. 2. 2024

We provided an interview on the causes of poor quality work of forensic experts

The media image of Czech experts is shaped by highly problematic cases, but many experts in the Czech Republic are doing top-notch work, said in an interview for Seznam Zprávy given by members of our institute, Dr. Jiří Závora and Mgr. Bohdana Nováková.

24. 1. 2024

VUT Brno – training of experts of the Faculty of Civil Engineering

A member of our institute, Dr. Jiří Závora, gave an invited lecture at a top expert workplace, Brno University of Technology, Faculty of Civil Engineering. The topic of the lecture was of course related to the procedure of an expert according to the new legal regulation of expert activities in the Czech Republic.

21. – 23. 9. 2023

Internship for the University of Amsterdam

For the students of the Master Forensic Science programme we arranged a three-day internship which included lectures on the new regulation of expert performance in the Czech Republic (Dr. Závora), on the interdisciplinary project on speaker identification (Mgr. Skořepa) and on the falsity of expert opinion in the decision-making practice of courts in the Czech Republic (Mgr. Nováková).

23.5.2023

The Judicial Academy, Kroměříž

Dr. Jiří Závora held a lecture for the judges of the Kralovehradecky region in Kroměříž on the structural concept of reviewability in the new regulation of expert performance

April 2023

Workshop on signature verification for the Czech National Bank

March 2023

Study on the interpretation of the meaning of the codified expert procedure according to the new regulation

Dr. Jiří Závora published a study in the prestigious law journal AUCI (SCOPUS) in which he interpreted the broader meaning of the structural concept of the reviewability of expert’s report. The codification of the expert’s procedure (§ 52 Regulation No. 503/2020 SB) and the requirements of an expert’s report (§ 41 Regulation No. 503/2020 SB) was based on Dr. Závora’s study published in 2017.

November 2022

Jerome’s Days

Participation in the panel discussion Interpreter is also just a person – Ethical, professional and psychosocial risks of the interpreting profession

June 2022

The Judicial Academy, Kroměříž – training course for judges

Procedure of the expert according to the new regulation of expert performance

June 2022, Justiční areál Na Míčánkách

The Judicial Academy – mental care for interpreters

Mental care for Ukrainian language interpreters

November 2021 – March 2022

Cooperation with Czech National Bank

Workshop: Training for bank tellers – comparing signature with the signature specimen

October 2021

Echo24.cz

Comment on President Miloš Zeman’s signature on the document convening the session of the Chamber of Deputies

New legal regulation of expert performance

The previous legal regulation of expert performance did not provide sufficient conditions for the expert report assessment. Based on the assignment of the Ministry of Justice of the Czech Republic, a study proposing a structure-based expert procedure was formulated by a member of our institute Dr. Jiří Závora.

Institute of Forensic Sciences Prague – justification is essential…