On Tuesday, the Academic Senate of the Catholic Theological Faculty of Charles University in Prague selected Jiří Dvořáček, a church lawyer, as their candidate for the position of dean, with eight out of nine present senators voting in favor. The election took place amidst ongoing legal disputes involving the current dean, Jaroslav Brož, who chose to withdraw from the race. Brož expressed surprise that the elections were conducted at all, given a previous temporary injunction issued by the Supreme Administrative Court concerning his legal challenges against a removal decision made by former rector Milena Králíčková.

The Supreme Administrative Court had suspended the effects of Králíčková's decision to remove Brož from his deanship, pending the resolution of a cassation complaint that Brož had filed. This situation led to a complicated legal context surrounding the faculty’s governance, with Brož questioning the legitimacy of the election while the Academic Senate contended that their actions reflected the lawful exercise of academic self-governance. They asserted that conducting the election would not lead to a situation of 'dual governance' within the faculty.

If appointed by the rector, Dvořáček's role would commence only after the legal proceedings regarding Brož's status have concluded. This development highlights the tensions within the faculty and raises questions about academic leadership, governance, and the implications of the court's intervention in university affairs, showcasing a broader concern regarding the autonomy of academic institutions in Czechia.