The subject of this article is to present the evolution of the constitutional and legal position of the Marshal of the Sejm, which covers the time from regaining independence by Poland to 1997 when the current constitution came into force. Assuming that both the scope of the competences connected with the operating of the Sejm and the powers beyond that area decide on the political position of the Marshal, the constitutional and regulatory solutions concerning that office were analysed. The result of those analyses proves that the position of the chairman of the Polish Sejm changed significantly over the analysed time. The changing political trends were the most important factor determining the constitutional and legal position of the Marshal of the Sejm. In the normative perspective they were reflected in the constitutional acts which were binding successively in Poland. The Marshal has always had the status of the constitutional body; however, this fact has not always determined his strong position in the Sejm.

The article is entirely devoted to the issue of adopting the resumption of voting in the Sejm of the Republic of Poland. It concerns all the aspects of this institution, starting with genesis, through its systemic ratio legis, and ending with the material premises and the procedural mechanism of its application. The main goal is to analyze the normative content of the legal solutions in force in this area and, at the same time, to present selected experiences of political system practice. Focusing on these elements, the author answers the question of necessity of establishing the Article 189 of the Standing Orders of the Sejm, as well as the limits of using the institution of resumption in parliamentary practice. These efforts are accompanied by in-depth reflection on what should be changed in the content of the mentioned provision in order to make resumption an even more effective tool for verifying parliamentary votes.

Mediation committee in the parliament

The subject of the article is the possibility of establishing a mediation committee in the Polish parliament. It is a special type of parliamentary committee responsible for resolving disputes between parliamentary chambers. The need to establish such committee results from the fact that the Senate exercises a number of constitutional powers independently of the Sejm. They include, among others, approval of the election of the Commissioner for Citizens’ Rights made by the Sejm. This issue became the subject of a long dispute in the Polish parliament. Solutions to this type of problem could be served by a mediation committee composed of representatives of both chambers, which main task would be to work out a compromise solution in the dispute between the Sejm and the Senate. The mediation committee could also facilitate the legislative procedure in the parliament, although in this case the final vote almost always belongs to the Sejm, which may reject amendments or the Senate’s objection to the bill.

Legislative Power and its Organs from the Perspective of the Practice of Membership of the Republic of Poland in the European Union

The aim of the article is to analyze the influence of the legislative authorities on the membership of the Republic of Poland in the European Union. A dozen or so years of Poland’s membership in this international organization allows for a new look at the phenomenon of the “democratic deficit”, which has for a long time been the case that the position of the legislative authorities is decreasing in connection with EU membership. It should be stated that the legislative authorities, due to the system of government established in the Constitution of the Republic of Poland of 1997, should play a greater role in the process of integration of the Republic of Poland with the European Union.