Current Research Projects
_______________________________________________________________________________
Title: Protection of personality rights in tort law
Researchers: Tomáš Doležal, Adam Doležal, Ivo Smrž, Radomil Kočí
Duration: 2025-2027
Project description: The project will analyze personality rights and their protection in civil law with a special focus on the Czech Republic. The main issue is to open a discussion on theoretical questions of personality rights and the scope of their protection in tort law. Personality rights serve as the cornerstone of individual autonomy and dignity, safeguarding everyone's body, thoughts, feelings, and behavior in their interactions with others and with public authorities.The significance of personality rights is underscored by their incorporation into the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) and other supranational human rights instruments. Despite the extensive discussions and legal frameworks established to address personality rights, the scope and definition of these rights remain contentious areas. Within the project, we will address issues like the recognition and basis of protection of personality rights, the scope of their protection and the nature of personality rights.
Title: Digital evidence in criminal proceedings
Researchers: Tomáš Doležal, Adam Doležal
Duration: 2021-2029
Project description: The project responds to current problems related to the growing need for law enforcement authorities to effectively manage electronic evidence. It aims to equip these authorities with legal, organizational and technical solutions that can enhance their capacity to act not only in the prosecution and investigation of crimes committed using modern technologies. At the same time, the project aims to build a strong professional platform capable of identifying emerging challenges and responding to them by designing effective solutions based on the results of cutting-edge research. The research will focus on the area of ISP compliance with the requirements for cooperation with the LEA, legal issues of the use of electronic evidence in criminal proceedings, and the develoment of technical tools.
Title: Strategy AV 21: Future of assisted reproduction (ART)
Researchers: Tomáš Doležal, Adam Doležal, Ivo Smrž, David Černý, Radomil Kočí
Duration: 2025-2029
Project description : Research on embryonic stem cells and Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) raises a wide range of legal and ethical questions. These issues touch on human dignity, the right to life, the responsibilities of scientists and physicians, and the rights of unborn embryos. Perspectives on these topics vary significantly across religious, cultural, legal, and political contexts.
This project focuses on both the legal and ethical dimensions of embryonic stem cell research, as well as on selected challenges associated with ART. The legal analysis will include a comparative review of legislation in selected countries and an examination of relevant international instruments—such as the Convention on Human Rights and Biomedicine (Oviedo Convention)—which prohibit research that leads to the destruction of human embryos.
A substantial part of the research will be dedicated to exploring the legal and ethical status of the human embryo, particularly in relation to research involving embryonic stem cells and the development of synthetic embryos. The project will address issues such as the legal status and patentability of synthetic embryos, as well as the technologies used in their creation.
In the context of ART, new ethical and legal challenges continue to emerge—such as embryo transfer involving genetic disorders, assisted reproduction in patients with comorbidities, or genetic testing of embryos for adult-onset diseases. These topics will also be explored in detail.
The research will address both general and specific questions that lie at the intersection of ethics and law, with a particular focus on ART as a phenomenon enabled by modern science and technology. The main goal of the project is to offer a general normative framework for addressing the outlined issues, as well as practical guidance for healthcare professionals and institutions providing assisted reproductive services.
Title: Health system efficiency - The National Institute for Research on Socioeconomic Impacts of Diseases and Systemic Risks
Duration: 2022-2025
Project n. 1: Access to Healthcare
Researchers: Tomáš Doležal, Adam Doležal, Ivo Smrž
Project description: This project aims to identify existing barriers to accessing healthcare, including social, cultural, linguistic, and psychological factors, as well as structural issues such as insufficient provider capacity and weak coordination between health and social care services. A significant barrier may also lie in the lack of clarity or transparency in the applicable legal framework.
The identification of such barriers is particularly relevant across different types of care—both urgent and planned. The project will also examine how different standards of care (legal, reimbursement-related, etc.) affect access and influence the healthcare financing system. Closely related is the issue of the overall financial sustainability of the system.
The findings of this research may serve as a basis for informed discussion on the scope of services covered by public health insurance, the potential role of patient co-payments, the integration of health and social care, and the development of healthcare system capacity in the context of changing demographic trends.
Project n. 2: Telemedicine and Its Societal Context
Researchers: Tomáš Doležal, Adam Doležal, Ivo Smrž, David Černý
Project description: Telemedicine holds great promise, particularly in terms of cost-effectiveness. However, the success of technical solutions will depend on public trust and the willingness of individuals to engage with digital technologies. Despite improving levels of digital literacy, placing too much emphasis on implementing telemedicine as a standard form of care may create new barriers to healthcare access for certain populations.
If telemedicine proves to be a cost-effective tool, individuals who lack trust in these systems—or sufficient digital skills—may nevertheless be pressured into using them. The success of telemedicine applications will also depend on the readiness of the legal framework and reimbursement systems. At the same time, the introduction of telemedicine raises a significant ethical concern: the potential dehumanization of healthcare.
Using methods of legal analysis, the project aims to examine the challenges of telemedicine regulation. It will propose guidelines for best practice and explore the ethical dimensions of integrating telemedicine into routine care.
The findings may help identify and anticipate societal problems related to the expansion of telemedicine, contributing to a more ethically sensitive and legally robust implementation.