State decorations of the Czech Republic
Encyclopedia
State decorations of the Czech Republic recognize outstanding acts of service to the Czech Republic
. They are awarded by the President of the Czech Republic
, usually, but not necessarily, on the recommendation of the Chamber of Deputies
, the Senate
or the Prime Minister of the Czech Republic. They may also be promulgated solely on the president's authority. They come in two varieties: orders
being the higher honor and medals the lower.
in 1992, the president had little more than a ceremonial role with respect to state decoration
s. According to Article 63, he promulgated an order or an award on the recommendation of the government, as expressed by the signature of the Prime Minister. The constitution did not clearly give the president a way to refuse such a referral, unless it came to him by way of an enacted law, vulnerable to his veto
. However, nothing in the constitution suggests that a recommendation for decoration be voted on by parliament.
However, Article 63 also allows for the president to be granted powers by a lesser law to "exercise powers not explicitly defined in the Constitutional Act". Such a law came into effect in 1994, which allowed for the president to award state decorations on his own authority. It also seemed multiply the legislative
routes by which a person could be recommended for an award. As a consequence of this 1994 change, the Senate, the Chamber of Deputies, the Government, or the President can all recommend a person to receive a decorations. In any of these cases, however, it is still the responsibility of the president, or his designee, to actually present the award.
This 1994 act — The Act on the State Decorations of the CR — specifically codifies what are the orders and medals capable of being conferred or awarded. Annexes (or amendments) to the Act instructed that the designs for the insignia
associated with the state decorations should be chosen following a public competition.
By law, insignia
for all state decorations are individually numbered, and accompanied by a matching numbered certificate.
Czech Republic
The Czech Republic is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Poland to the northeast, Slovakia to the east, Austria to the south, and Germany to the west and northwest....
. They are awarded by the President of the Czech Republic
President of the Czech Republic
The President of the Czech Republic is the head of state of the Czech Republic. Unlike his counterparts in Austria and Hungary, who are generally considered figureheads, the Czech President has a considerable role in political affairs...
, usually, but not necessarily, on the recommendation of the Chamber of Deputies
Chamber of Deputies of the Czech Republic
The Chamber of Deputies of the Parliament of the Czech Republic is the lower house of the bicameral Parliament of the Czech Republic. The seat of the Chamber of Deputies is situated in palaces in Malá Strana, Prague....
, the Senate
Senate of the Czech Republic
The Senate of the Parliament of the Czech Republic , usually referred to as Senát, is the upper chamber of the Parliament of the Czech Republic...
or the Prime Minister of the Czech Republic. They may also be promulgated solely on the president's authority. They come in two varieties: orders
Order (decoration)
An order or order of merit is a visible honour, awarded by a government, dynastic house or international organization to an individual, usually in recognition of distinguished service to a nation or to humanity. The distinction between orders and decorations is somewhat vague, except that most...
being the higher honor and medals the lower.
Legislative history
As originally envisioned by the constitutionConstitution of the Czech Republic
The current Constitution of the Czech Republic was adopted on December 16, 1992. It replaced the constitution of Czechoslovakia , which split into the Slovak Republic and the Czech Republic by act of parliament on January 1, 1993, through the so-called Velvet Divorce.The document is organized into...
in 1992, the president had little more than a ceremonial role with respect to state decoration
State decoration
State decorations are orders, medals and other decorations granted by a state. International decorations are similar, but are not granted by a specific nation but rather an international organization....
s. According to Article 63, he promulgated an order or an award on the recommendation of the government, as expressed by the signature of the Prime Minister. The constitution did not clearly give the president a way to refuse such a referral, unless it came to him by way of an enacted law, vulnerable to his veto
Veto
A veto, Latin for "I forbid", is the power of an officer of the state to unilaterally stop an official action, especially enactment of a piece of legislation...
. However, nothing in the constitution suggests that a recommendation for decoration be voted on by parliament.
However, Article 63 also allows for the president to be granted powers by a lesser law to "exercise powers not explicitly defined in the Constitutional Act". Such a law came into effect in 1994, which allowed for the president to award state decorations on his own authority. It also seemed multiply the legislative
Legislature
A legislature is a kind of deliberative assembly with the power to pass, amend, and repeal laws. The law created by a legislature is called legislation or statutory law. In addition to enacting laws, legislatures usually have exclusive authority to raise or lower taxes and adopt the budget and...
routes by which a person could be recommended for an award. As a consequence of this 1994 change, the Senate, the Chamber of Deputies, the Government, or the President can all recommend a person to receive a decorations. In any of these cases, however, it is still the responsibility of the president, or his designee, to actually present the award.
This 1994 act — The Act on the State Decorations of the CR — specifically codifies what are the orders and medals capable of being conferred or awarded. Annexes (or amendments) to the Act instructed that the designs for the insignia
Insignia
Insignia or insigne pl -nia or -nias : a symbol or token of personal power, status or office, or of an official body of government or jurisdiction...
associated with the state decorations should be chosen following a public competition.
By law, insignia
Insignia
Insignia or insigne pl -nia or -nias : a symbol or token of personal power, status or office, or of an official body of government or jurisdiction...
for all state decorations are individually numbered, and accompanied by a matching numbered certificate.
State decorations
- Order of the White LionOrder of the White LionThe Order of the White Lion is the highest order of the Czech Republic. It continues a Czechoslovak order of the same name created in 1922 as an award for foreigners....
- Order of Tomáš Garrigue Masaryk
- Medal of HeroismMedal of Heroism (Czech Republic)The Medal of Heroism is principally a military award, but has occasionally been awarded to civilians. It rewards acts of "heroism in combat" or those "deeds aimed at saving other human lives or substantial material values" which put the recipient at significant risk of death...
- Medal of MeritMedal of Merit (Czech Republic)The Medal of Merit is an award of the Czech Republic which comes in three grades, the First Grade being the highest. It awards people for service to the Republic in a number of different public arenas, including: "the economy, science, technology, culture, arts, sports, enlightenment and...