The legal empowerment of Polish Accreditation Committee in the State

Considerations carried out in this publication are an attempt to locate The Polish Accreditation Committee in a Polish tripartite power and competences division system The paper also aims to establish legal basis and character of Committee’s actions as well as the compatibility of those actions with the constitutional directives and moreover to establish the legal status of Committee’s members. The essence of the research is an attempt to try to provide an answer to the question about the location of the Constitution in the legal-organizational system of the Polish state. In order to do so the author analyzed the legal regulation, on the basis of which the Committee is founded, its members are appointed and its tasks and competences were granted. An effort taken in the paper to explain the phenomenon of the independence of the activity of The Committee as an institution invoked by an organ of the state ad- ministration is of a great importance.

The role of regional chambers of audit in the field of supervision and control financial matters of local government units

The article aims at presenting role of regional chambers of audit in the field of control and supervision financial matters of local government’s units perform their tasks according to the principles stipulated by the binding legal regulations. The role of supervision is to define legal boundaries in terms of the state’s ability to intervene at the district, county or voivodeships level in the activities of these units. The foundations of supervision result from the adoption of the constitutional principle of a democratic state ruled by law and the principle of decentralization. The aim of this study is to analyse the normative legal position of regional accounting chambers in terms of exercising control and supervision over financial activities carried out by local government units, while taking into account their autonomy. Regional chambers of audit are constitutional state bodies of a special nature, equipped with supervisory and control powers, which makes them the guarantor of the independence of local government units in the field of collecting and spending public funds using the legality criterion.

The Phenomenon of Recentralization in the Field of Law of Non- Governmental Organizations and the Principle of Civil Society

The issues discussed in the article oscillate around the nature and consequences of changes in the Act on Public Benefit and Volunteer Work, which is considered to be “the constitution of the non-governmental sector in Poland”, as it comprehensively regulates the functioning of civil society institutions, as well as defines the framework for their participation in the processes of public life and performing public administration tasks. These changes, especially with regard to the establishment of a new authority competent in matters of public benefit, as well as the expansion of supervision, may indicate a tendency towards state management of civil society in Poland, despite the constitutional principle of civil society which guarantees freedom and independence of civic activity from administrative structures. Conclusions in this regard can be drawn on the basis of a comparative analysis of statutory norms and their interpretation.

Meanders in Civilian Control over the Armed Forces in Poland After 1989

The article presents considerations and opinions on the observance of constitutional principles related to civil and democratic control over the armed forces after 1989 in Poland. The control, supremacy, and supervision of the civil authorities over the organs of violence are one of the greatest challenges a democratic state must face. Civilian control of the military is vital today, as NATO has made it a prerequisite for membership. The article aims to present a research problem and answer the question – how each side perceives its role and what function it fulfils in terms of control, authority, and supervision – from the public respect and popularity enjoyed by a given politician, political institution, or armed forces to the administrative or political abilities of the ruling politicians. Civilian control should also be accepted by military commanders and political leaders in power and result from the institutional and legal regulations adopted in a given country and the experience of NATO members. The armed forces are to serve the state, protect its independence, security, and territorial integrity, and therefore maintain political neutrality, not selected political groups (parties) or society. Since there is no uniform model or system of control over the military, there are only common principles necessary to guarantee democratic and civilian control over the armed forces in the state.