Relations between the principles of proper legislation  and the principles of legislative techniques in the process of law-making

Meaning of the principles of legislative techniques (PLT) and the principles of proper legislation (PPL) should be regarded as a key to the process of lawmaking. These rules are often a guarantee for the protection of human rights. The principles of good legislation are inferred by the Constitutional Court of Art. 2 of the Polish Constitution (the democratic rule of law). The principles of legislative techniques are included in the Annex to the Regulation of the Prime Minister Council of Ministers dated on 20 June 2002 on the principles of legislative technique. The paper presents a characteristics of both disciplines taking into account their specificity and historical background. It was also shown that by joint application of PPL and PLT and their inseparable correlation legislator may establish acts that will guarantee the protection of human rights and will protect the interests of the State. The Author also identified benefits which derive form joint application of both sets of legislative rules and principles.

Human and citizen rights as moral and political indicator of German Federal Republic legal system

The end of Nazism lawlessness, proved – beyond reasonable doubt – that values which are sustainable and unbreakable exists. These values are getting older – as everything in this world, but does not become outdated. As a starting point shall be taken joint and individual experiences from National-Socialists period, which cannot be forgotten, especially from perspective of historical context: the state and society were impact by ideological experiment. The experiment had a common meaning – individuals disregard and cult of masses. Never individualism did not mean so few. And never the freedom of individual was so deficit commodity. When thinking deeper on this subject, it is – without any doubts, possible to assumed, that these past experiences had strong and thorough influence on authors of German constitution from 1949. It shall be emphasized that the opening word of the German Basic Law is: „The human dignity is irrebuttable”. From the point of legal system, it is striking, because in typical (and – commonly used in other democratic systems) opening constitutional provisions, we can read, to whom the power in the state is dedicated, or what is the legal form of state.

Polish constitutional normalization of the principle  of subsidiarity and its development in law

This paper is an attempt to show regulations on the principle of subsidiarity, enclosed in Polish Constitution and other legal acts. Polish legislation is familiar with the concept of subsidiarity, it is included in the preamble of the Constitution of the Republic of Poland. This provision was intended to emphasize its importance for the implementation of civil rights. It was considered that subsidiarity is important for strengthening the powers of citizens and communities they create. It is present to protect their rights, as well as any action taken by manifestations of civic activity in associations. This imposes an obligation on the legislature for an appropriate division of roles, in carrying out tasks of the local public administration. Applying the method of the institutional and legal analysis, demonstrated the presence and development of subsidiarity in the legislation. Analyzed materials also show the gradual, yet slow development of the principle of subsidiarity in Polish legislation. Its basis can be found in the constitutional law, which is the determinant of the direction of its development. The Constitutional Tribunal is also affecting subsidiarity by its decisions. The first part is a review of the principle of subsidiarity in Polish Constitution. It also expresses the impact of principle on the Republic of Poland. The second part concerns the principle of subsidiarity in the ordinary law. It shows how the principle is being developed since the late 80’s. The last part is an attempt to reveal the implementation of subsidiarity in activities of local governments. It focuses on how subsidiarity can provide the right to operate freely and retain autonomy of actions.

The Introduction the Fundamental Law of Hungary Special Focus on the National avowal

The Fundamental Law of Hungary came into force on 1st January 2012. In its mentality it is a conservative, christian constitution having National avowal for the first time. From the six parts of the Fundamental Law of Hungary the title of the first one is the National avowal, the regulations involved can be regarded as an avowal, the self-definition of the state. In the structural and content renewal of the Fundamental Law of Hungary several positive statements can be read compared to the previous ones.

Algorithms prioritizing in the light of the principle of free elections

The principle of free elections allows for broad protection of imponderables related to the electoral process. Its scope covers activities ranging from the possibility of reading electoral information, up to the voting process itself. Such a broad approach to this principle of electoral law, which in fact is currently not expressed expressis verbis in the Constitution of the Republic of Poland, allows protection of the entire voting process. This, in turn, seems crucial in the field of reference to modern technologies. These are undoubtedly easier for us to live, however, improperly used, they can interfere with democratic processes. This article is an attempt to answer a momentous practical question: how can the content optimization algorithms used in search engines and social networks influence freedom of choice, and whether inappropriate use of these algorithms may violate the law and to what extent can it influence democratic processes? In my opinion, taking up this research topic will help to secure the interests of democratic states, as well as looking at the principle of “free elections” in a slightly different context than before.

The Democratic State Ruled by Law Clause as a Fundamental Rule of Limiting Restrictions on Constitutional Rights and Freedoms

Despite the introduction to the Constitution of the Republic of Poland of 1997 of a number of detailed regulations (principles) previously derived from the democratic state ruled by law clause, its importance for the discourse around the limits of legislative interference in the sphere of individual rights and freedoms remains relevant. The author of this text focuses on the analysis of the multifaceted nature of the impact of this fundamental principle on the process of interpretation and application of legal provisions. The text outlines the issues related not only to the scope of direct application of Article 2 of the Constitution of the Republic of Poland, but also its importance for reasoning about the constitutional axiology which significance for the assessment of the legality (proportionality) of interference by the legislative authority with the domain of constitutional rights and freedoms is becoming ever clearer.

Second Amendment to the American Constitution. Genesis, Targets and Objectives

The author will try to trace the genesis of the Second Amendment in the context of the American constitution process and the influence of other legal acts on the final content of the provision in question. What’s more the author will analyze the ideas that accompanied the Founding Fathers and which led to the creation of the United States Constitution. The author will analyze the objectives of the Second Amendment and the ideological assumptions that underpin it, including the issue of enabling citizens personal defense and the protection of private property, as well as the issue of guaranteeing citizens an effective tool to resist the state apparatus as a guarantee of citizens’ freedom as well as to prevent possible tyranny. Finally, the author will refer to the issue of culture of gun ownership in the USA and Poland.

In American legal historiography, the debate concerning the exact contours and reforms of the Progressive Era is still ongoing. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the American reform movements tried to match American ideals with the challenges of the times. Although progressive attitudes toward the economy, taxation, foreign policy, labor law, social standards, human rights, women’s suffrage, rapid urbanization and unrestricted immigration highlighted the necessity of reforms, such progress was seen from a variety of perspectives. We may ask the question if American legal thought that time was really progressive. The jurisprudence of the U.S. Supreme Court profoundly influenced the shape of the legal order in economic and labor law. Unfortunately, some decisions were not compatible with the visions of progressive reformers and reflected the ideological attitudes of the justices rather than an aspiration for reform.

Constitutional foundations of the principle of freedom of contract in the context of the diversity of private law entities

The Constitution of the Republic of Poland does not contain a provision that would directly shape the freedom of contract as a rule of law. However, this principle is so important in the private law system that its constitutional origin is beyond doubt. This article is an attempt to establish the foundations of the principle of freedom of contract under the Constitution of the Republic of Poland and to show whether these grounds differ from each other depending on the type of entities that freedom inhere. For this purpose, the views presented in the doctrine were analyzed using the qualitative method. This allowed the thesis that the legislator shapes the foundations of the principle of freedom of contract for natural persons more widely than for other types of private law entities. This, in turn, in the author’s opinion, leads to legal inequalities and allows shaping further-reaching restrictions on the principle of freedom of contract in relation to private law entities other than natural person

Model of relations between the state and religious organizations in Ukraine – legal aspect

The purpose of the publication is to characterize the model of relations between the state and religious organizations in Ukraine. After Ukraine gained independence in 1991, it was necessary to regulate issues related to the functioning of religious organizations in accordance with democratic standards. The model of separation adopted in the Constitution of Ukraine is the culmination of political changes. However, the Constitution of Ukraine provides for guarantees of freedom of conscience and religion, based on international standards arising from the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights of 1966 and the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms of 1950. Pursuant to Article 35 of the Constitution of Ukraine, everyone has the right to ideological freedom and to choose a religion. This right includes: freedom to profess any religion or not profess religion, freely cultivate religious or ritual cults individually or collectively, and conduct religious activities. This right may be restricted only if it is in the interest of protecting public order, health and morality of the population, or protecting the rights and freedoms of others. It should be noted that the law in question correlates with the constitutional provisions regarding the “ideological diversity” of social life in Ukraine, where the state cannot make any ideology compulsory – Art. 15 of the Constitution. Nevertheless, there is traditionally a significant influence of religious institutions on social relations, political events, which is explained by the historical significance of churches and religious organizations in the life of Slavic peoples and the specificity of the national mentality, the main component of which is religious spirituality. The author in this publication analyzes the legal system. The article also discusses selected problems related to the practical application of legal provisions.

Constitutional right of an individual to the protection of freedom and human rights and shaping individual safety – interdisciplinary approach to the problem

The obligations of the state towards people and citizens are included in the Constitution of the Republic of Poland, those concerning security in Art. 5. However, this document does not clearly define the essence of this concept. The aim of the article is to show the need to include it in the basic law. The analysis of legal acts, literature in the field of security, state and law, and own research shows that society needs an unambiguous definition of terms. Of course, it was emphasized that the clarification of the definition of security in the Polish Constitution is not a simple challenge, as it cannot be formulated in absolute terms. However, an attempt can be made to analyze the subjective and objective approach to the problem. The need to look at individual security through the prism of development and the use of individual opportunities in the light of the common good protected by law has been demonstrated.

Prawa i obowiązki państwa członkowskiego organizacji międzynarodowej – artykuł 90 Konstytucji RP

Artykuł 90 Konstytucji Rzeczypospolitej Polskiej (ustawy zasadniczej) jest zdefiniowany nie tylko w orzecznictwie, ale również i w doktrynie, jako podstawa prawna przystąpienia państwa członkowskiego (m.in. Polski) do organizacji międzynarodowej. Udział ten związany jest przede wszystkim z uprawnieniami członkowskimi, ale także z obowiązkami. Wśród tych pierwszych należy wskazać po pierwsze czerpanie korzyści z członkostwa w organizacji międzynarodowej, po drugie wykonywanie wszystkich statutowych i zwyczajowych uprawnień członkowskich, czy też udział w procesie podejmowania decyzji. Natomiast do obowiązków członkowskich należy zaliczyć po pierwsze wykonywanie zobowiązań statutowych, wspieranie organizacji międzynarodowej w realizacji celów i funkcji organizacyjnych, czy też solidarność z organizacją oraz jej państwami członkowskimi.

On the Limits of Interpreting the Law According to Karl Engisch German Case Study

We are probably not mistaken when we state here that one of the most heatedly debated issues in German legal doctrine remains the problem of the delimitation of the limits of judicial lawmaking (Richterrecht). In other words, and in the most succinct terms, the judge’s right to legislate. For the judicial law is, and it would be difficult not to agree with such an opinion, one of the most interesting but also controversial issues in contemporary legislation. The question as to whether a judge is merely the „mouthpiece of the law”, or whether he or she is allowed to make a creative contribution to its interpretation, cannot be regarded, even today, as not serious or merely outdated. Hence, the attempt of Karl Engisch (1899–1990), one of the most prominent German criminal law theorists of the 20th century, to answer this question can and should be seen not only in terms of casuistic demonstration, but also (and who knows if not primarily) as the evidence of a scholar who rejects seeing the judge as a kind of automaton acting according to cognitive dogmas. From the Polish perspective, this account remains convincing insofar as one takes into consideration Engisch’s rejection of National Socialist delusions in the study as well as in the application of law. An attitude which, as we know, was not typical of this milieu during the Third Reich.

The Constitutional Dimension of the Protection of the Rights of National Minorities in Austria

The article indicates such research problems as the features of the Austrian constitutional order, the history of Austrian constitutionalism and the main legal acts of a constitutional nature. The aim of the analysis was to determine: a) what is the level of protection of national minorities in Austria, resulting from the constitutional order?, b) can we speak of continuity of protection?, and c) what is the balance between legal regulations and practice? The article indicates that the level of protection of national minorities in Austria resulting from the constitutional order should be assessed as high. The minority status has been defined in a number of constitutional legal acts. We are dealing with the continuity of legal protection, and any problems do not concern strictly the law itself, but its practical application.

Safety of People with Special Needs in the Light of Constitutional and Statutory Regulations

Constitutional law, as a catalog of principles, doctrines and practices governing the activities of communities, has a guiding idea, that the state must protect the fundamental rights of the individual. The article is about the safety of people with special needs in the context of the constitutional principle of equality, dignity and the common good. The aim of the article is to emphasize the necessity to enable people with special needs not only to fully participate in the use of security as a common good, but also to participate in the creation of normative acts resulting from the provisions of the Constitution of the Republic of Poland. Nobody may be discriminated against in political, social and economic life for any reason. In line with this principle and the constitutional principle of human dignity and the common good, multi-dimensional approaches to the issue of security have been shown and free use of public and social goods of people with special needs in the light of applicable norms and legal regulations.

The Place of the Right to Internet in National Legal Orders

The information revolution, and the associated rapid development of technology, led to significant social changes. Currently every aspect of our life depends on access to the Internet. The conceptualization of the right to the Internet is a consequence of these changes and is an important element of the contemporary concept of the status of the individual. Many countries have started to implement it into their legal systems. The paper separates and assesses individual strategies of adopting this law. The research aim of the article is to answer the question: does the right to the Internet require direct introduction to the constitutional order of the state. The effect of the considerations is to define the desired place of the Internet right in the national legal order.

At the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries, the American reform movements tried to match American ideals with the challenges of the times. Progressive attitudes highlighted the necessity of reforms. The Chinese issue, often risen in the public dialogue, was the subject of deliberation of the Supreme Court, the Congress, and the federal executive branch of government. Chae Chan Ping v. United States and subsequent cases established the doctrine of consular noneviewability referring to immigration law and delineating the scope of judicial review for decisions concerning the admission of immigrants to the United States. They also strengthened the plenary power doctrine. We may ask if the Supreme Court judgments were in conformity with the ideas of American Progressivism. Unfortunately, the Chinese Exclusion Cases were not compatible with the visions of progressive reformers and reflected anti-Chinese sentiment rather than an aspiration for reforms.

Selected Directions of Research in the Field of Constitutional Law in the World – a Subjective Contribution to the Discussion

At present, there is a global discussion on desirable and necessary changes to the constitution, common and non-derogable democratic values, and the scope of the omnipotence of the authorities elected in free elections. Politicians, representatives of organizations representing civil society, experts and representatives of the world of science participate in this discussion. The Polish constitutional discourse after 2015 was dominated by the consequences of ruthless circumvention of the provisions of the constitution by politicians in power. Even in these circumstances, however, other issues that are currently being debated in international constitutional forums must not be lost sight of. It seems that at least some of them may prove useful in the discussion on restoring constitutional standards.