The subject of the present article is the analysis of the functioning of the institution of citizens’ initiative in Poland, as well as a reference to the effectiveness of the institution in question on the example of draft acts that were voted upon by the 7th term of the Polish Sejm.

The article covers the issue of anthropocentrically conditioned relativism characterizing the attitude of humans toward animals. The relativity of good and evil in this respect was viewed through the prism of selected legal texts. Linguistic examples were indicated (various parts of speech, expressions, substitutions, collocations) attesting to cases of normative consent to the violation of animal welfare, resulting, as it may be assumed, from the subject approach to them and subordinating human welfare to them. The need to give the issue of animal protection a constitutional rank was also expressed.

The Issue of Supplementing the Ratification Act with Additional Content (art. 89 of the Polish Constitution)

The authors point to arguments of legal interpretation of the Constitution that would justify the possibility of including additional provisions in the statute agreeing to ratify the international agreement (Article 89(1) of the Polish Constitution). A condition for such an extension would be the direct link between the additional content and the implementation of the international agreement and the possibility of adopting additional content in the ordinary legislative procedure. Such provisions could not violate the provisions of the Polish Constitution. The authors also point to non-legal arguments that could justify such action by the legislature in a particular situation. However, they favour the uniqueness of such a solution and its embedding in a specific systemic context.

Normative Guarantees of the Freedom of Association in Political Parties in Kazakhstan

The subject of the study is the problem of freedom of association in political parties in Kazakhstan from the normative perspective. The analysis of national regulations concerning the guarantee of political pluralism and determining the principles for the creation and operation of political parties in Kazakhstan indicates for series transgressions and contradictions with international obligations accepted by them at the area freedom of association. The current law on political parties in this country contains very restrictive provisions. It lacks provisions that would guarantee the access of political parties to the mass media and the free organization of meetings and demonstrations. The law also prohibits the creation of religious, national and ethnic political parties.