The principles of civil procedure in Poland in the twentieth century : doctrine, drafts and law in a comparative perspective

Three fundamental state system and legal transformations, which took place in Poland in the 20th century, make the history of the Polish law of civil procedure an important and intriguing research thread, especially in a comparative perspective. The aim of this article is to demonstrate the problem of the principles of civil procedure in codification works which were in progress before the regaining of independence in 1918. They were continued in the Second Republic of Poland and developed further after the Second World War until the second Polish Code of Civil Procedure was adopted in 1964. Codification works in the Second Republic of Poland and the People’s Republic of Poland were quite different regarding their determinants and also conditions. However both presented the phenomenon of a deviation from the original assumptions and concepts, which were postulated by the authors of the original drafts. Such deviation was usually adverse. The changing fate of Polish civil procedure did not threaten the heritage of Polish jurisprudence. The adversarial and dispositive principles, as well as the principle of oral proceedings and the principle of the free appraisal of evidence were constantly present in the Polish legal system. Nevertheless, after World War II some significant modifications were imposed that limited the autonomy of the parties and the independence of the court owing to the political subordination to the Soviet Union. However, the attitude of the majority of Polish lawyers enabled many standards of the classic judicial proceedings to be maintained, and thereby also the relations with the European doctrine of procedural law

Insolvency judges meet strategic behaviour: A comparative empirical study

This article reports the results of a comparative empirical legal study that analyzed (1) strategic behaviour by actors in insolvencies that is salient to insolvency judges and (2) how insolvency judges respond to such behaviour. After examining four different European countries, namely Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, and Portugal, the study reveals how differences regarding case allocation, judge – insolvency practitioner (IP) interaction, and remuneration and case financing can result in strategic behaviour on both the side of the judges and the IPs. From this, it follows that improving the efficiency and effectiveness is not merely a matter of implementing legislation and case law, but that it also requires a look into the dynamics between insolvency judges, IPs, and other actors in the insolvency process

O funkcjonowaniu administracji w PRL uwag kilka

SOME REMARKS ON THE FUNCTIONING OF ADMINISTRATION IN THE POLISH PEOPLE’S REPUBLIC  The decisive influence on the functioning of administration in the Polish People’s Republic was exerted both by the new and faulty organization of its structures and by the significant increase of powers which were conferred on it, in connection with simultaneous transfer of the decision-making center beyond administrative structures, to the level of single-party’s Polish United Workers’ Party leadership. In consequence, such a development led to the substantial limitation of the guarantees of protection of citizens’ rights and to the diminished efficacy of the economic system. Further negative results were also generated by the inconsistency of the Marxist-Leninist ideology with the state’s policies ostensibly based upon this political philosophy. Therefore, not only the substance of new rules often became problematic, but also the discretionary character of the rules’ execution. Authorities responsible for such a state of affairs attempted to contradict these facts, focusing their attention on propagating two theses derived from Marxist-Leninist ideology, concerning, first, alleged vanishing of every antagonism between the state with its administrative agendas and an individual and, second, supposedly steadily accelerating economic progress of our country. Both of these assumptions were used to explain the abolition of many security mechanisms, the enlargement of the ius publicum boundaries and the exclusion of all subjects, with the exception of the government, from participating in fulfilling social needs. These circumstances played an important role in the development of the science of administrative law and of the theory of organization. Both these scholarly disciplines were governed by the assumption that in order to successfully liquidate an administration in accordance with the dogma of socialist development, it needs to be strengthened beforehand. The establishment of administrative control at the beginning, without an appeal instance was the only important reform introduced during this period. Chief Administrative Court commenced its activities on the 1st of October, 1980. At the same time, other guarantees of the rights of parties’ to the administrative proceedings also became strengthened, for example by reducing a number of specificities connected with the so-called “special proceedings” and by renouncing certain informal practices which had been invalidated by CAC. Nevertheless, the new systemic rules in the field of administrative law came into existence only at the turn of the eighties.SOME REMARKS ON THE FUNCTIONING OF ADMINISTRATION IN THE POLISH PEOPLE’S REPUBLIC  The decisive influence on the functioning of administration in the Polish People’s Republic was exerted both by the new and faulty organization of its structures and by the significant increase of powers which were conferred on it, in connection with simultaneous transfer of the decision-making center beyond administrative structures, to the level of single-party’s Polish United Workers’ Party leadership. In consequence, such a development led to the substantial limitation of the guarantees of protection of citizens’ rights and to the diminished efficacy of the economic system. Further negative results were also generated by the inconsistency of the Marxist-Leninist ideology with the state’s policies ostensibly based upon this political philosophy. Therefore, not only the substance of new rules often became problematic, but also the discretionary character of the rules’ execution. Authorities responsible for such a state of affairs attempted to contradict these facts, focusing their attention on propagating two theses derived from Marxist-Leninist ideology, concerning, first, alleged vanishing of every antagonism between the state with its administrative agendas and an individual and, second, supposedly steadily accelerating economic progress of our country. Both of these assumptions were used to explain the abolition of many security mechanisms, the enlargement of the ius publicum boundaries and the exclusion of all subjects, with the exception of the government, from participating in fulfilling social needs. These circumstances played an important role in the development of the science of administrative law and of the theory of organization. Both these scholarly disciplines were governed by the assumption that in order to successfully liquidate an administration in accordance with the dogma of socialist development, it needs to be strengthened beforehand. The establishment of administrative control at the beginning, without an appeal instance was the only important reform introduced during this period. Chief Administrative Court commenced its activities on the 1st of October, 1980. At the same time, other guarantees of the rights of parties’ to the administrative proceedings also became strengthened, for example by reducing a number of specificities connected with the so-called “special proceedings” and by renouncing certain informal practices which had been invalidated by CAC. Nevertheless, the new systemic rules in the field of administrative law came into existence only at the turn of the eighties

Wpływ ustawodawstwa stanu wojennego na prawo cywilne w Polsce

 THE IMPACT OF MARTIAL LAW LEGISLATION ON CIVIL LAW IN POLAND The author seeks to determine the impact of the legislation that emerged in connection with the introduction of martial law in Poland in 1981 on civil law. She starts by referring to axiology as well as the basic principles of civil law in the socialist state. This provides abackground for her discussion of the changes introduced after 13 December 1981. In her conclusion the author notes that even today there are still unresolved problems concerning damages and compensation for losses suffered during the martial law period by individuals who were interned as well as those who suf­fered injuries or were forced to emigrate. Some judges are not familiar with the legislation in force at the time and with the consequences of its application, as can be seen in rulings and statements of reasons dismissing some of the claims. THE IMPACT OF MARTIAL LAW LEGISLATION ON CIVIL LAW IN POLAND The author seeks to determine the impact of the legislation that emerged in connection with the introduction of martial law in Poland in 1981 on civil law. She starts by referring to axiology as well as the basic principles of civil law in the socialist state. This provides abackground for her discussion of the changes introduced after 13 December 1981. In her conclusion the author notes that even today there are still unresolved problems concerning damages and compensation for losses suffered during the martial law period by individuals who were interned as well as those who suf­fered injuries or were forced to emigrate. Some judges are not familiar with the legislation in force at the time and with the consequences of its application, as can be seen in rulings and statements of reasons dismissing some of the claims

Responsibility of the Judicial Power and Disciplinary Responsibility of Judges

Two circumstances: ineffective legal protection system and controversial cases of abandonment of enforcement of judges’ disciplinary liability have become a basis for justifying amendments to regulations on judges’ disciplinary liability. New solutions are characterised by, among other features, the limiting of the independence of the judiciary and subjecting it to increased control exercised by the legislature and the executive. The rationale behind these changes is to be sought for in a claim that courts of law are not a representative of the people which can be considered qual to the other authorities and that, therefore, having been abused by judges, the rights they have enjoyed hitherto (other than the administration of justice) should be constrained. Some judges and representatives of the jurisprudence reject this argumentation pointing out that rather than being conducive to the declared goals of improving the functioning of courts and of judges’ observance of law, the amendments result in the limiting of the citizen’s right to an independent tribunal. In these circumstances, a dispute has arisen over how a judge should act if the law on disciplinary liability prohibits their right to criticise or legally verify regulations depriving them of the guarantee of independence and impartiality. Do the statutable principles of disciplinary liability also determine all the principles of the judiciary liability? What if there is a difference of opinions between the representatives of the legislature and the executive versus those of the judiciary concerning an interpretation of the citizen’s right to a tribunal and of the notion of “independence of a tribunal”? Analysing the legal and doctrinal argumentation offered by both parties may facilitate answering these questions. This approach may also prove useful in determining whether enforcing the new principles of disciplinary liability will resolve the current crisis in the relationship between courts and the other authorities or, on the contrary, initiate its further stage.Dwie okoliczności: niesprawny system ochrony prawnej oraz kontrowersyjne przypadki zaniechania egzekwowania odpowiedzialności dyscyplinarnej sędziów, stały się podstawą uzasadnienia zmian w przepisach o odpowiedzialności dyscyplinarnej sędziów. Nowe rozwiązania charakteryzują się m.in. ograniczeniem niezależności władzy sądowniczej i poddaniem jej większej kontroli ze strony władzy ustawodawczej i wykonawczej. U podstawy tego przedsięwzięcia znajduje się teza, że sądy nie są równorzędnym, względem innych władz, reprezentantem Suwerena, a ich dotychczasowe prawa (poza sprawowaniem wymiaru sprawiedliwości) powinny być zawężone, ponieważ zostały przez sędziów nadużyte. Część sędziów i przedstawicieli jurysprudencji odrzuca tę argumentację wskazując, że zmiany nie służą deklarowanym celom poprawy funkcjonalności sądów i przestrzegania prawa przez sędziów, lecz skutkują ograniczeniem prawa obywatela do niezależnego sądu. W tych warunkach powstał spór, jak powinien zachować się sędzia, jeżeli ustawa o odpowiedzialności dyscyplinarnej zakazuje mu prawa do krytyki oraz do prawnej weryfikacji przepisów pozbawiających go gwarancji niezależności i niezawisłości. Czy ustawowe zasady odpowiedzialności dyscyplinarnej decydują także o wszystkich zasadach odpowiedzialności władzy sądowniczej? Jak przestawia się ta sytuacja w momencie różnicy zdań między przedstawicielami władzy ustawodawczej i wykonawczej, a przedstawicielami władzy sądowniczej, na temat interpretacji zasady prawa obywatela do sądu oraz samego pojęcia „niezależność sądu”. Pomocne w odpowiedzi jest przybliżenie prawnej i doktrynalnej argumentacji, na którą powołują się obie strony. Może być to też przydatne dla ustalenia czy egzekwowanie nowych zasad odpowiedzialności dyscyplinarnej zakończy obecny kryzys w stosunkach między sądami i pozostałymi władzami, czy przeciwnie - zainicjuje kolejny jego etap

Zgrupowania spółek w postępowaniach upadłościowych i restrukturyzacyjnych: podobieństwa problemów prawnych i ich rozwiązań z perspektywy regulacji międzynarodowych oraz wybranych porządków prawnych państw członkowskich UE

Corporate groups regardless of their structure are a common phenomenon in conducting business activity, therefore there was a need to address the problem of insolvency of such groups by legislators. The following paper presents regulations regarding corporate insolvency provided in both supranational acts (UNCITRAL Legislative Guide on Insolvency and EU Regulation 2015/848 on insolvency proceeding), as well as in national laws of four EU Member States — Italy, the Netherlands, Poland and Portugal. As shown in the study, each of the above mentioned countries allows conducting insolvency proceedings with respect to corporate groups, albeit with some differences as to its basis (legal acts or legal practise), scope (coordination, procedural consolidation or substantial consolidation) and implementation (court jurisdiction and appointment of supervisory judges or insolvency practitioners). In the paper we compare the regulations adopted by the states in question and point out some obstacles for effective proceedings. Despite some differences, we find most of the solutions similar as they allow consolidation or coordination of cases, and they are in line with the European law on insolvency.Działalność gospodarcza prowadzona przez zorganizowane grupy spółek jest niezwykle popularna nie tylko w Unii Europejskiej. Natomiast wykonywanie działalności wiąże się nierozerwalnie z możliwością popadnięcia w stan niewypłacalności, w tym także o charakterze transgranicznym. Artykuł przedstawia regulacje dotyczące niewypłacalności przedsiębiorstw, zawarte w aktach ponadnarodowych (UNCITRAL Legislative Guide on Insolvency oraz rozporządzeniu UE 2015/848 w sprawie postępowania upadłościowego), a także w przepisach prawa krajowego czterech państw członkowskich UE — Włoch, Holandii, Polski i Portugalii. Jak pokazują badania prowadzone przez naukowców z wymienionych krajów w ramach projektu ACURIA, każdy z tych krajów umożliwia prowadzenie postępowań upadłościowych w odniesieniu do grup kapitałowych, jednak istnieją pewne różnice co do ich podstawy (są to albo akty prawne, albo ustalona praktyka stosowania prawa, jak np. w Holandii), zakresu (koordynacja, konsolidacja proceduralna lub konsolidacja merytoryczna) oraz realizacji (jurysdykcja sądów i powołanie sędziów nadzorczych lub zarządców). W artykule porównano regulacje przyjęte przez te państwa i wskazano na bariery efektywnego postępowania. Chociaż istnieją pewne różnice, większość rozwiązań jest, zdaniem autorów, podobna. W większości porządków prawnych pozwalają one na konsolidację postępowań lub koordynację spraw i są zgodne z europejskim prawem upadłościowym (także z tzw. soft law)

INTRODUCTION / FEMINISM AND ECONOMIC INQUIRY IN COMMUNIST AND POST-COMMUNIST POLAND / A COMPARATIVE STUDY OF WOMEN IN HUNGARIAN AND EUROPEAN ACADEMIC AND RESEARCH INSTITUTIONS / FEMINISMS AND SOCIAL SCIENCES IN EUROPEAN COUNTRIES WITH A STATIST FEMINIST HERITAGE: NETWORKS AND STRATEGIES

This Explorations investigates the current status of the research done on women's economic position in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE), focusing on the current treatment of feminism in these countries. Agnieszka Majcher discusses feminist economic inquiry and the position of women in higher education in Poland. Krisztina Majoros focuses on the progress and problems of women in higher education and research institutions in Hungary and compares these to other EU countries. Finally, Andrea Pető reports on the legacy of what has been termed “statist feminism” and explores various strategies to strengthen feminist economic research in CEE countries.Status of women, feminism, higher education, Central and Eastern Europe, feminist economic research,