Vicarious Liability under Paragraph 2914 of the Czech Civil Code

The paper deals with the institute of vicarious liability related to the actions of an agent. By the previous legislation this issue was handled only very inadequately. Neither the doctrine, however, has in any way contributed to the development of the dogmatics of this legal institute. A fundamental change in the Czech legal environment has been introduced by the new Civil Code which in paragraph 2914 in conjunction with paragraph 1935 regulates the vicarious liability in the way that is very close to the concept of this institute in related legal orders. One the one side, the paper discusses the principal’s liability while examining its prerequisite, then, on the other side, especially analyses this liability within the contractual relations and beyond them, i.e. in the area of tort liability. Besides, it is also deals with the agent’s own liability excluded by the previous legislation. More attention is then focused on the direct agent’s liability who is an employee where it is necessary to take into account the specifics of his/her special protected status.