Death penalty in Poland. Relict or possible threat

For centuries, the death penalty has been a subject of interest not only to lawyers, political scientists, philosophers or psychologists, but also to representatives of various types of organizations, including non-governmental organizations and politicians. The death penalty is the merciless murder of a human being, committed premeditatedly by the state in the name of justice. It is a violation of the right to life guaranteed by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. It is the most cruel, inhuman and degrading punishment. A mistake cannot be eliminated, which is all the more dangerous because the death penalty is an irreversible punishment. The death penalty was and still is sometimes treated as a political tool, used to eliminate inconvenient opponents. In Poland, the last execution was carried out in 1988, followed by a moratorium on the adjudication and execution of the death penalty, and finally amended legislation. Today Poland is a member of the Council of Europe and the European Union, which strictly oppose the death penalty. However, there is no shortage of voices, both among politicians and the public, to reinstate the death penalty for the most serious crimes. This article presents the history of the death penalty in Poland and selected contemporary views, on the possibility of reinstating the death penalty in Polish criminal law.

REFERENCES:

• Amnesty International Report 2022/23: The state of the world’s human rights. Retrieved from: https://www.amnesty.org/en/documents/pol10/5670/2023/en/.
• CBOS, Opinie o karze śmierci. Komunikat z badań, 2007. Retrieved from: https://www.cbos.pl/SPISKOM.POL/2007/K_051_07.PDF.
• CBOS, Poczucie bezpieczeństwa. Zagrożenie przestępczością i stosunek do kary śmierci, 2011. Retrieved from: https://www.cbos.pl/SPISKOM.POL/2011/K_060_11.PDF.
• CBOS, Wzrost poczucia zagrożenia terroryzmem, 2004. Retrieved from: https://www.cbos.pl/SPISKOM.POL/2004/K_059_04.PDF.
• Constitution of the Republic of Poland of 2.04.1997.
• Criminal Code of the Polish Army of September 23, 1944, Journal of Laws No. 6, item 27.
• Criminal Code of 1969, Journal of Laws No. 13, item 94, as amended.
• Criminal Code of 1997, Journal of Laws No. 88, item 553.
• Dąbrowska, Z. Sondaż: Zwolennicy PIS w sprawie kary śmierci myślą tak jak premier, Rzeczpospolita. Retrieved from: https://www.rp.pl/spoleczenstwo/art37787081-sondaz-zwolennicy-pis-w-sprawie-kary-smierci-mysla-tak-jak-premier.
• Decree of the President of the Republic of Poland dated October 24, 1924 on certain crimes against state security, Journal of Laws No. 94, item 851.
• Decree of the President of the Republic of Poland of March 19, 1928 on summary proceedings, Journal of Laws No. 33, item 315, as amended.
• Decree of the President of the Republic of Poland of July 11, 1932, Journal of Laws No. 60, item 571.
• Decree of the President of the Republic of Poland of November 22, 1938 on the protection of certain state interests, Journal of Laws No. 91, item 623.
• Decree of June 13, 1946, Journal of Laws No. 30, item 192.
• Decree of March 4, 1953 on intensifying the protection of social property, Journal of Laws No. 17, item 68.
• Decree of December 12, 1981 on special proceedings in cases of crimes and misdemeanors during martial law, Journal of Laws No. 29, item 156.
• Długosz, D. Kara śmierci – Pis sięgnął po temat, k tory zapowiada klęskę, Newsweek. Retrieved from: https://www.newsweek.pl/polska/polityka/kara-smierci-pis-siegnalpo-temat-ktory-zapowiada-kleske/4pk5qmt.
• Kędzia, Z. (1991). Prawo do życia. In: Prawa Człowieka. Model prawny. Wrocław – Warszawa – Kraków.
• Korwin proponuje m.in. przywrócenie kary śmierci i poszerzenie obrony koniecznej, Gazeta Prawna. Retrieved from: https://www.gazetaprawna.pl/wiadomosci/artykuly/938829,korwin-proponuje-min-przywrocenie-kary-smierci-i-poszerzenie-obrony-koniecznej.html.
• Law of May 23, 1924 on general military duty, Journal of Laws No. 46, item 458.
• Law on Prohibition of Possession of Foreign Currency, Gold Coins, Gold and Platinum and Tightening of Penalties for Certain Foreign Exchange Crimes. Journal of Laws No. 21, item 134.
• Law on Universal Obligation to Military Service, Journal of Laws No. 6, item 46.
• Law on Criminal Responsibility for Crimes against Social Property, Journal of Laws No. 36, item 228.
• Mitera, M. (1998). Kara śmierci w perspektywie filozoficznej. In: M. Mitera, M. Zubik. Kara śmierci w świetle doświadczeń współczesnych systemów prawnych. Warszawa.
• Morawiecki o karze śmierci. Eksperci zszokowani. „To kompromitująca wypowiedź”, Rzeczpospolita. Retrieved from: https://www.rp.pl/prawo-karne/art37720331-morawieckio-karze-smierci-eksperci-zszkowani-to-kompromitujaca-wypowiedz.
• PIS ponownie w sprawie kary śmierci. Retrieved from: https://www.money.pl/gospodarka/wiadomosci/artykul/pis;ponownie;w;sprawie;kary;smierci,59,0,65851.html.
• Polska ratyfikowała protokół o zniesieniu kary śmierci, PAP. Retrieved from: https://prawodlakazdego.pl/prawo/polska-ratyfikowa%C5%82-protok%C3%B3%C5%82-ozniesieniu-kary-%C5%9Bmierci.
• Prezydent podpisał ustawy dot. zniesienia kary śmierci, PAP. Retrieved from: https://www.prawo.pl/prawnicy-sady/prezydent-podpisal-ustawy-dot-zniesienia-karysmierci,52423.html.
• Pytlakowski, P. Pożegnanie z katem, Polityka, 19.04.1997.
• Sondaż: Kto chce przywrócenia kary śmierci, Rzeczpospolita. Retrieved from: https://www.rp.pl/kraj/art10160721-sondaz-kto-chce-przywrocenia-kary-smierci.
• Supreme Court Order of 1935, Order 2K. 804/35, ZOSNIK, 1/1935, item 300.
• Szaniawski, P. Przywrócić karę śmierci? Sondaż, Newsweek. Retrieved from: https://www.newsweek.pl/polska/czy-polacy-chca-przywrocenia-kary-smierci-sondaz-newsweeka/pe9fgh2.
• The African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights.
• The American Convention on Human Rights.
• The American Declaration of the Rights and Duties of Man.
• The Convention on the Rights of the Child The European Convention on Human Rights.
• The Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union.
• The International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.
• Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
• UPR zniesienie kary śmierci to absurd. Retrieved from: https://wiadomosci.wp.pl/uprzniesienie-kary-smierci-to-absurd-6109000890631297a.
• When the state kills… Capital punishment and human rights. Amnesty International. Summary of the report, Amnesty International Publications, London 1989.
• Zielińska, E. (1998). Prawo do życia. In: Szkoła Praw Człowieka. Teksty wykładów. Zeszyt IV, Helsińska Szkoła Praw Człowieka. Warszawa.
• Zubik, M. (1998). Kara śmierci w Polsce. In: M. Mitera, M. Zubik (eds.). Kara śmierci w świetle doświadczeń współczesnych systemów prawnych. Warszawa.