Dualism of Executive Power in the Third Polish Republic – Constitutional Regulations and Political Practice

The aim of the article is a critical analysis of the rationalized parliamentary system established in the Constitution of the Republic of Poland with the strengthened position of both bodies of the dualistic executive. The study presents the regulations increasing the political role of the President and the government (prime minister) as well as the conditions and political effects of the adopted system. The premise of the article is to highlight the dysfunctionality of the constittional model of the executive and the practice of its implementation.

The Principle of Secret Voting in the Constitution of the Republic of Poland and the Possibility of Implementing Popular Voting with the Use of E-voting Based on Blockchain Technology

The principle of secret voting is one of the basic elements of the Polish electoral system. Its character does not raise many doubts in the literature on the subject. It seems, however, that secrecy of voting may be one of the main challenges in the context of plans to implement Internet voting in universal suffrage. Many scientists place their hope in blockchain. It is a technology that ensures high security. On the basis of this article, I consider whether blockchain – due to its characteristics – can be used in Poland as a technology enabling voting via the Internet. I pay particular attention to the principle of secret voting, which may be difficult to implement with the use of this solution.

This article is the result of the scientific meeting organized by the KUL, in June 2021, concerning the topic of the constitutional identity. One of the intriguing problems in constitutional law is just the problem of constitutional identity. Constitutional Identity has three functions. The most important consistent that identity determines the “core” or “nucleus” of each constitution. The answer to radical question “what is the preambule to the Polish Constitution for?” should be that it mostly serves to express constitutional identity. This the basic function of this part of the Polish Constitution. Above all, constitutional identity “emerges” from national identity. Both identities are connected with each other in the preambule of the Polish Constitution.

The aim of the publication is to present the key issues regarding legal forms of restrictions on freedoms and rights (especially freedom of movement) without the simultaneous introduction of one of the constitutional states of emergency during the Covid-19 pandemic in the Republic of Poland and their assessment in terms of compliance with the Constitution. An important issue is the restriction of freedom of movement by the executive without proper authorization by statute. Despite the lack of the authorization in question, the Minister of Health introduced a ban on movement under the provisions of the executive act, which is contrary to Art. 92 sec. 1 of the Polish Constitution2, pursuant to which the bodies indicated in the Constitution of the Republic of Poland are authorized to issue the ordinance on the basis of statutory delegation. Moreover, in the light of Art. 31 sec. 3 of the Constitution of the Republic of Poland, restrictions on the exercise of constitutional freedoms and rights, including the right to move (Art. 52 of the Polish Constitution), may be established only by statute, therefore the regulation of the matter in question by means of a sub-statutory act, without proper authorization in the provisions of the act, violated a number of provisions of the Constitution, which means that in the event of failure to observe the statutory form for restrictions on freedoms and rights, it must lead to the disqualification of a given regulation as being contrary to Art. 31 sec. 3 of the Polish Constitution.

The purpose of the article is to present the amendments introduced to the Act - the Law on Assemblies by the Act adopted on December 13, 2016 and to define a new type of assemblies, i.e. public assemblies. Already the draftamending law has met with unfavorable opinions of the Supreme Court and the Helsinki Foundation for Human Rights, which, of course, have not been taken into account. The Act adopted at a very fast pace was also challenged by the President of the Republic of Poland, who appealed to the Constitutional Tribunal to adjudicate on the compliance of its provisions with the Constitution. However, the Tribunal recognised the constitutionality of the new provisions. Briefly presenting the differences between the so-called ordinary assemblies and cyclical assemblies and the procedure related to their organization will allow to put forward the thesis about the introduction of solutions increasing legal uncertainty, violation of the principle of equality and granting the voivode broad discretion when issuing decisions allowing the organization of cyclical assemblies. This will also be confirmed by the indication of the first decisions of the voivode allowing the organization of cyclical assemblies.

Gloss to Judgement of the Supreme Court of 28 May 2021, file ref. no. III CZP 27/20

The glossed resolution has a significant impact on the catalogue of legal measures for environmental protection. Since the personal and collective dimensions of environmental protection are not in conflict, and the related private and public interests are based on a common value as the environment, seeking protection of individual rights threatened or violated as a result of environmental impact may constitute an important means of indirect legal protection of the environment and its resources, competitive to direct measures taken in the public interest. However, the reasoning of the Supreme Court indicated in the justification of the resolution raises certain doubts and may have significant consequences for the manner of interpretation of the provisions of the environmental protection law system.

Constitutional Duty to Protect Polish Borders in the Light of the Crisis on the Border with Belarus

The duty of each state established by internal law is to protect its borders. The Constitution of the Republic of Poland, referring to the need to ensure the integrity of the territory and the security and inviolability of its borders, gives this duty priority. The crisis on the Polish-Belarusian border poses a serious threat to both the Baltic countries and the European Union. The methods and means used to end it are primarily intended to ensure border security, which is a particularly difficult task given the hybrid nature of the actions carried out by Belarus. The possibility of response and reaction of Polish services is limited by the need to respect human rights, international law regulations and democratic rules, which the Republic of Belarus does not feel bound by. The use of the state of emergency made it possible to focus efforts on combating the crisis, but the question arises how the situation will develop after it is lifted.

The Scope of Constitutional Custody over the Performance of Professions of Public Trust

Exercising custody over the proper performance of professions of public trust is the essence of professional self-government established pursuant to Art. 17 sec. 1 of the Polish Constitution. The scope of this custody is very wide and varied, due to the need to adapt it to the specificity of specific professions of public trust. It covers most of the tasks in the field of public administration, including, inter alia, deciding on the possibility of practicing a profession, registration of persons authorized to practice a profession, as well as controlling the way in which it is performed by disciplinary jurisdiction. Constitutional custody over the proper performance of professions of public trust should be exercised within the limits of the public interest and for its protection, that is, in the interest of the general public and all citizens.

Proposal for Regulating the Legal Status of the Spouse of the President of the Republic of Poland

The aim of this paper is to outline a proposal for the regulation of the most important issues regarding the status of the spouse of the President of the Republic of Poland. The text includes a proposal to adopt a law, which would define the tasks and competences, support apparatus and financing of the activities of the spouse of the Head of State. Specific issues concerning the linguistic determination of the spouse of the President of the Republic of Poland are presented, together with alternative formulas. The analysis also deals with the admissibility of taking up employment by the spouse of the President of the Republic of Poland. Regulation of the legal position of the President of the Republic of Poland is also presented from the perspective of the issue of sources of law. The paper applies a dogmatic method and refers to the practice of foreign countries.

The Nation as the Entity Limiting Itself in Its Rights and Freedoms. Sovereignty of the Nation as the Basis for Functioning of the Principle of Exclusivity of a Statute

The author writes about the relation between two constitutional principles: the sovereignty of the nation and the exclusivity of the statute, with the aim of checking whether the first one is not the basis for the functioning of the second one. Therefore, using the dogmatic, theoretical-legal and teleological methods, the author shows that, firstly, the Nation adopted the Constitution of the Republic of Poland, which allows to limit some human and citizen rights and freedoms by the statute, and then elected its representatives, who in the name, interest, and on the basis of the legitimation received from the Nation, statued such restrictions. That brought the author to the conclusion that in fact the Nation is the entity that limits itself in exercising its rights and freedoms.

On the Compliance with the Constitution of the Republic of Poland of the Appointment of Judges – Members of the National Council of the Judiciary by the Sejm

The subject of this text is to determine whether Article 9a of the Law on the National Council of the Judiciary is compatible with the Constitution of the Republic of Poland. In order to answer this question, the relationship that should prevail between the various authorities in a system based on the principle of separation of powers was analyzed. Then, doubts were resolved as to whether the NCJ is a body appearing in the division of powers of the judiciary. In the end, it was concluded that in the RP, the Sejm should have no other creative powers over the judiciary than those expressly provided for in the Constitution of the RP. Otherwise, the chamber is placed in a position of unjustified supremacy vis-àvis the judiciary, and the judicial power provides no guarantee that human freedoms and rights will be decided by independent and impartial courts staffed by independent judges.

Stabilising Provisions in the Constitution of the Republic of Poland on the Example of the Concordat Between the Republic of Poland and the Apostolic Capital

The Constitution, in Chapter I of the Republic, contains norms of a stabilising legal status. We address those that raise questions of interpretation, sometimes raised by the doctrine and resolved in different ways. Some are formulated in general terms, which makes it difficult to determine the scope of the protection (stabilisation) provided. We will concentrate on the norms of stabilisation that perpetuate the regulations or even do not allow changes without amending the Constitution of the Republic of Poland – Article 25 Paragraph 4, treating of the agreement concluded with the Holy See, but also those that mention, in various contexts, the constitutional ministers that may not be absent from the government, although the law allows its composition to be shaped freely. It seems that among the norms of a stabilising legal state, the issue of the Concordat is the most emotive. The authors wonder: is it legitimate for the church party to have more rights than the state? A historical-legal method (analysis of the Concordats and the historical-political background) and a dogmatic analysis of the provisions have been used.

The Right to Participate. Introduction to the Analysis of Constitutional Solutions in the Third Polish Republic in the Context of the Concept of Open Democracy

One of the basic elements that distinguish open democracy is civic participation, understood quite broadly, as it covers all civic activities, including non-election activities. Such a wide range of participatory rights was also included in the 1997 Constitution of the Republic of Poland. However, while in the case of open democracy, there were postulates referring to participation as an obligation of citizens towards the community, in the basic law it is limited to civil rights. The aim of the article is to present the characteristics of the phenomenon on both planes.

National Broadcasting Council – Constitutional Regulatory Body

The goal of the paper is to present the regulatory nature of the National Broadcasting Council.. The thesis of the paper is the statement that the National Broadcasting Council has been first stipulated as a regulatory body for the market of media services, and second as the body performing the tasks resulting from Art. 213 of the Constitution of the Republic of Poland. Status of the National Broadcasting Council is based on two acts of the Constitution of the Republic of Poland of 1997 and on the Broadcasting Act of 29th December 1992. The plane for the deliberations will be Polish legal regulations, shorthand records of the Sejm of the Republic of Poland, as well as scientific papers. The following methods were applied in the study: dogmatic-legal, analytic-synthetic.

The paper is an attempt to diagnose the visible phenomenon, though still informal, of forced privatization of tasks assigned to law enforcement authorities within the current Polish legal system of counteracting money laundering and financing terrorism. It is also an attempt to assess the situation when law enforcement and supervisory institutions as well as cooperating bodies marginalize their duties connected to preventive and investigative activities. The author advances the thesis that shifting the point of gravity of the indicated actions to the obligated entities (mainly of a non-public character) leads to an unacceptable, from the point of view of constitutional principles, threat to freedoms and rights and constitutes an obligation that does not fit into the conditions specified in art. 31 of the Constitution. The article is a picture of reality.

Debt Limit from Article 216(5) of the Polish Constitution in Times of the COVID-19 Pandemic and the Russian-Ukrainian Conflict

The purpose of this article is to analyse proposed amendments to the debt limit from Article 216(5) of the Polish Constitution. The constitutionalization of the above limit raised many concerns and doubts, which returned in times the COVID-19 virus and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022. In the ongoing debate in recent years, it was proposed to raise reference value of debt to 90% of GDP or to exclude defence spending from the rigour of the constitutional rule. Undertaking an assessment of the proposed amendments the author first discusses the ratio legis of the fiscal rule and the problem of its application in extraordinary situations. The analysis allows the conclusion that undoubtedly the constitutional debt limit should be amended, however the above proposals do not solve the essence of the problem and thus do not deserve to be taken into account.

The subject of the article is a reference to beauty in the preamble to the Constitution of the Republic of Poland of 1997. First, the legislative history of the fragment of the introduction to the Constitution, which constitutes beauty as a universal value, has been presented. Then it has been interpreted, taking the position that the constitutional concept of beauty is not only an aesthetic category but also an ethical category. Finally, a study of jurisprudence and normative acts has allowed to define the scope of beauty operationalization as a constitutional value. Critical reference has been made to the state of affairs in which beauty, being an element of constitutional axiology, plays a barely noticeable role in the practice of creating and applying Polish law.

The idea of identity and national consciousness are sociological and political concepts that are connected with normative acts, in particular with the Constitution. These concepts involve the problem of national and ethnic minorities. The sense of national identity is associated with a sense of belonging to the nation and it applies to individuals, has the character of a personal right, and is associated with identification with the national community. The material scope of national identity is difficult to determine; however, it contains access to widely understood cultural goods. The article 35 of the Constitution of the Republic of Poland draws attention to the components of national identity. This article lists freedom to preserve and develop one’s own language, to maintain customs and traditions, to develop one’s own culture, as well as the possibility of creating educational and cultural institutions for protection of religious identity. In the light of the analyzed views of doctrine, jurisprudence and international standards, it seems that there is no doubt that the concept of a nation in the Polish Constitution is not ethnic. Such an ethnic meaning may have the notion of a national minority.

Poland’s Systemic Challenges Before Joining the Monetary Union in the Context of the Independence of the National Bank of Poland

Poland joined the European Union as part of the largest EU enlargement so far, which took place in 2004. Poland did not take advantage of the passing 19 years of EU membership and did not join the monetary union. The analysis of Poland’s accession to the monetary union should begin with considerations regarding the adjustment and amendment of the Constitution of the Republic of Poland in this respect. In particular, it is necessary to analyze the statutory definition of NBP independence. The literature broadly covers the subject of convergence conditions and the possibility of Poland meeting them. However, the fact is overlooked that Poland, despite the passage of 19 years from the accession to the EU, remains in a significant systemic maladjustment to the provisions of the monetary union. A particular scope of the mismatch concerns the current legal position of the NBP. The lengthening period of Poland’s accession to the monetary union determines the fact that Poland remains in the second development speed in the EU with a clear tendency to increase the distance to the countries forming the euro area.

Constitutionality of Legal Norms on Aesthetic Medicine Services

The lack of a legal definition of aesthetic medicine benefits leads to a number of interpretive doubts about who can perform the above-mentioned procedures and the status of those who benefit from them. Only doctors have the knowledge and competence to change the appearance of the human body, while due to the fact that the legislator eliminated aesthetic treatments from the definition of health benefits, we can find aesthetic offerings, for example, in beauty salons. The definition of a patient has also been immanently linked to the use of health benefits, so those who undergo treatments not aimed at preserving, saving, restoring or improving health are consumers who are not entitled to a number of rights under the Act on Patient Rights and Commissioner for the Rights of the Patients. Therefore, the current Polish regulations on aesthetic medicine services conflict with the norms of the Constitution RP.