Confessional Secrecy in Criminal, Civil and Administrative Cases as a Condition for the Implementation of the Constitutional Right to Freedom of Conscience and Religion

The text is devoted to the issue of protection of the secret of confession provided on the basis of criminal trial, civil and administration process. This secret is the immanent element of the rites of persons exercising their freedom of conscience and religion under Art. 53 sec. 1 of the Constitution. Freedom of conscience and religion is one of the most important. The differences in the approach to clergy witnesses and possible solutions for the unification of mechanisms governing their interrogation were presented.

The seal of confession in a criminal trial vs revocation of the authority to administer the sacrament of penance in canon law

The article addresses the hitherto under-researched issue of the seal of confession in the criminal trial in the context of revoking the authority to administer the sacrament of penance in canon law. It turns out that the regulations of canon law and criminal trial are consistent in guaranteeing the inviolability of the seal of confession, known as the ‘sacramental seal’. Secrecy does not apply if the confessor is not a priest since only a priest can validly administer this sacrament. The article’s considerations also deal with other subjective and objective issues that have impact on seal of confession in canon law and criminal trial.