Abstract
The text focuses on the current discussion on the permissibility of punitive damages in continental law. There is criticised the claim that punitive damages are increasingly used in continental legal systems including Czech law.
The problem is approached from the comparative and the historical perspective and, most importantly, Czech case law is used and relevant provisions of the Czech Civil Code are analysed. In the text, defining characteristics of punitive damages are identified and the suitability of its introduction to the continental law is discussed.