Polish law

The graphical user interfaces have become one of the most important means in software marketing over the last decades. This phenomenon occurs with particular intensity in relation to simple, non-specialized software. The users of such programs and devices with installed software of that kind are guided in choosing the product by its “look & feel” impression rather than by considering its, usually deeply hidden, technical solutions (the “engine”). This is understandable especially in the context of the development of mobile technologies, which are present in an increasing number of devices for everyday use. The “look” of a computer program is the display generated when a computer runs that program. The “feel” of a computer program is its function, overall purpose and performance (the easiness of use, promptness of operation) which is partly determined by the structure of the program and the sequence of commands it contains . Thus, the look and feel incorporate two aspects of a progra...

The paper discusses varying jurisdictions and evolving structures of the law of succession in Poland within last 100 years. It proves that basic notions of the law of succession remain unshaken, because the stability of the private law has been guaranteed in Poland after 1918 by the acceptance of Roman legal tradition. The paper pretends to present practical legal history. The fact is that many cases of succession have been left neglected for decades. Practical legal history is designed to be a useful presentation of the day-by-day changes to anyone in need of instruments for orientation in the law of succession over the previous 100 years. And it is the practical considerations which demand delving back even to times before World War I. The analysis focuses on the legal status at a given place and time: just after 1918, in times of codifications of trade law, obligations or private international law, in the epoch of unification efforts after World War II and under the 1964 Polish civil code that has been amended several times. Because of the many changes to the Polish law of succession and the multitude of jurisdictions as well as variety of legal traditions, the example of evolution of Polish legislation on successions seems useful and instructive to everyone interested in the evolution of private law in Europe.

The aim of this article is analyse issues related to extraordinary measures provided for by the Polish Constitution. The subject of the research concerns the duty to provide personal and in-kind contributions (public burdens) in the event of the introduction of one of extraordinary measures. The author focuses his attention on the nature of these contributions in relation to each of extraordinary measures, analysing their subjective and objective scope, the procedure, as well as the principles and mode of remunaration for and compensation of losses resulting from the duty to bear these burdens in situations of extraordinary measures.

Celem niniejszego artykułu jest analiza zagadnień związanych z występującymi w polskiej Konstytucji stanami nadzwyczajnymi (stan wojenny, stan wyjątkowy, stan klęski żywiołowej). Zagadnienia stanowiące przedmiot badań odnoszą się do regulacji obowiązku świadczeń osobistych i rzeczowych (ciężary publiczne) w razie wprowadzenia jednego z rzeczonych stanów nadzwyczajnych. Autor swoje rozważania skoncentrował na charakterze tych świadczeń w odniesieniu oddzielnie do każdego z tych stanów nadzwyczajnych, analizując ich zakres podmiotowy i przedmiotowy, procedurę oraz zasady i tryb wynagradzania i wyrównywania strat wynikłych z obowiązku ponoszenia tych ciężarów w sytuacjach stanów nadzwyczajnych.

Celem pracy jest opisanie instytucji pozwalających na zawieranie porozumień procesowych w polskim i izraelskim porządku prawnym, a następnie poddanie ich analizie pod kątem realizacji celów postępowania karnego. W pracy również zostaną wykazane niebezpieczeństwa związane ze stosowaniem trybów konsensualnych, na tle doświadczeń izraelskich, ze względu na dłuższą praktykę ich stosowania w izraelskim porządku prawnym. Wskazane zostaną także statystyki stosowania porozumień procesowych w innych systemach prawnych. Przedstawiona zostanie krytyka porozumień procesowych stawiana przez doktrynę izraelską. Owa krytyka zostanie następnie odniesiona do celów ogólnych polskiego postępowania karnego, a co za tym idzie, zostaną również przedstawione wnioski de lege ferenda w zakresie obecnego ukształtowania regulacji porozumień procesowych w polskiej procedurze karnej.

Flexibility of international transport, which is a driver of all unification projects in transport law does not necessarily depend on the creation of a single act. There is already a duality of international orders in rail transport within Europe and Asia. One is governed by the Convention concerning International Carriage by Rail (COTIF), the other is ruled by two international agreements: the Agreement on International Passenger Transport by Rail (SMPS) and the Agreement on the International Goods Transport by Rail (SMGS). The idea that only a single act shall provide flexibility and incentives for business and trade seems to be anachronistic in the era of polycentric legal orders. International rail transport deserves flexible legal solutions, which can be achieved in other, more adequate ways, also applicable to situations, when different legal regimes govern rail transport contract. Poland is among the border countries that have legal experience in cooperating within both the international legal regimes: COTIF and SMGS/SMPS, and now dealing with the overlapping rules of international conventions and the European law. Whether a single step forward—to one international rail convention, Unified Railway Law (URL)—is a good move, shall be judged in the light of the present legal experience, bearing in mind the ongoing process of decodification of private law.

Streszczenie W artykule zestawiono prawo polskie z ewangelicznym przekazem o nauczaniu i życiu Jezusa Chrystusa. Poczynione przez pryzmat Nowego Testamentu studium egzemplifikacyjnie obranych instytucji prawnych przynależących do różnych gałęzi prawa pozwala stwierdzić, iż rodzimy system prawny w niemałym stopniu koresponduje z myślą etyczną Jezusa. Fakt ten z jednej strony dowodzi uniwersalizmu moralnego nauczania Chrystusa. Z drugiej strony stanowi świadectwo roli chrześcijaństwa, czy szerzej tradycji judeochrześcijańskiej, w ukształtowaniu i naznaczeniu polskiej kultury prawnej, będącej z kolei częścią kultury prawnej Zachodu.


The article compares Polish law with the evangelical record of the teaching and life of Jesus Christ. The illustrative study of the chosen legal institution belonging to different legal branches made by the New Testament allows to come to the conclusion that the Polish legal system corresponds to no small extent with the ethical thought of Christ. On one hand it may prove universality of the moral teaching of Christ. On the other hand it bears witness to the role of Christianity, or in broaden sense of the Judaeo-Christian tradition, in shaping and marking Polish legal culture, which is a part of the Western legal culture.

The article discusses one of the many transport services provided by serfs for the benefit of the ruler and his officials on the lands of the former Polish state. Podvoda (the podwód) consisted in supplying horses, which were used mainly by the king with his wife. They were also used persons to whom one of them ordered to supply podvoda horses (e.g. royal messengers), while the obligation to provide this kind of obligation was often changed into a kind of rent (known podwodne or podwodnie) paid in exchange for the obligation to carry out and provide podvodas. The analysis conducted by the Author concerns the issues related to legal regulations in the field of the podvoda duty in the light of the provisions of 16th and 17th century universals and constitutions contained in the collection of the oldest laws of the Polish state.

Przedmiot niniejszych rozważań stanowi jedna z wielu posług o charakterze transportowym świadczonych przez ludność poddaną na rzecz panującego i jego urzędników na ziemiach dawnego państwa polskiego. Podwoda (podwód) polegała na dostarczeniu koni, z których korzystał przede wszystkim król ze swoją małżonką oraz osoby, którym jedno z nich poleciło dostarczyć konie podwodne (np. posłańcy królewscy), przy czym obowiązek świadczenia tego rodzaju powinności był często zamieniany na rodzaj czynszu (podwodne, podwodnie) składanego w zamian za powinność odbywania i dostarczania podwód. Analiza przeprowadzona przez Autora dotyczy zagadnień związanych z regulacjami prawnymi w zakresie obowiązku podwodowego w świetle postanowień XVI i XVII-wiecznych uniwersałów i konstytucji zawartych w zbiorze najdawniejszych praw państwa polskiego.

Among the many public burdens of a personal or financial nature for the defence of the State that existed in the distant past, one of the oldest and most burdensome is the obligation to provide quarters for the army. This burden was characterised by the fact that the inhabitants of villages, and then of settlements and towns, were forced to provide quarters for the army, As a rule, their owners receiving a certain amount of remuneration, which, however, was often disproportionately low compared to the damage caused by the army to the property providing the quarters. Therefore, the biggest problem with this institution was, for a long time, the one relating to the numerous robberies and destruction carried out by military units. This article is a synthetic analysis of the development of the institution of military quartering on Polish soil from the earliest times, through the period of partitions and the rebith of Poland in the interwar period, to the outbreak of World War II.

The paper presents an evolution of the law of succession in Poland since 1918. Five specific areas of regulation are examined: entitlement to succession, acquisition of the inheritance, intestate succession, legitim and reserved portion, and liability for inheritance debts. The constancy of succession regulations was not obvious as there were five jurisdictions in private law 100 years ago in Poland. The unification of 1946 and the codification of 1964 kept what Polish legal practice and doctrine accepted from the European tradition of private law. The tradition based on Roman law was not recognized in Poland before it was partitioned in 1795. Roman law appeared in Poland with the code of Napoleon brought by his armies to the Duchy of Warsaw in 1808, and with codes of Austria, Russia and Germany. The three empires divided Poland between themselves for the long 19th century. After gaining independence in 1918, Poland accepted the European legal tradition of private law as its own. It happened not by one act, but by the silent acceptance of private law that remained in force after the partition. Changes of notions, values, institutions or regulations in the Polish law of succession were kept limited for the last 100 years, as the stability of private law was guaranteed by the acceptance of Roman legal tradition.

Целью настоящего исследования является анализ вопросов, связанных с транспортными и коммуникационными услугами в старом польском законодательстве. Как известно, население, начиная со времен средневековья,  было  вынуждено  выполнять  различные  обязанности  для  правителя в рамках системы публичного права, а также для феодала в рамках системы частного права. Повинности транспортного и коммуникационного характера, являющиеся предметом настоящего исследования, помимо дани, были самым тяжелым бременем, которое должны были нести подданные. В рамках системы частного права услуги этого вида обычно включались в действовавшую еженедельную рабочую норму, при этом часто требования ее превышали. Предметом анализа являются исключительно транспортные и коммуникационные услуги, то есть те, которые требовались в рамках повинности княжеского права. Автор представляет отдельные категории этих услуг, ссылаясь на литературу в этой области и приводя положения отдельных нормативных документов, касающихся этих общественных повинностей.

The institution of requisitioning, analysed in this article, belongs to the area of research related to the obligation to provide in-kind contributions by the population in the area of military operations. It is primarily an area of interest for the study of international public law and administrative law. The institution of war requisitioning, understood as a way of obtaining items important for the supply of troops, has a centuries-long tradition and is connected with warfare carried out by individual nations and States over the centuries. The aim of the article is to analyse normative issues related to the use of this institution by the Polish army during the Polish-Bolshevik War of 1920, in the light of the legislation regulating this matter at that time, as well the practice and decisions of Polish courts in this area after the end of warfare.

Институт  реквизиции,  который  является  предметом  настоящего  анализа,  относится  к  вопро-сам, связанным с обязанностью несения материальных благ населением, находящимся в зоне военных действий, является сферой интересов науки в рамках международного публичного права и администра-тивного права. Институт военной реквизиции, понимаемый как способ приобретения важных с его точ-ки  зрения  объектов  для  нужд  снабжения  армий,  имеет  многовековую  традицию  и  остается  связанным  с военными операциями, проводимыми на протяжении веков различными народами и государствами. Целью  настоящей  статьи  является  анализ  нормативных  вопросов,  связанных  с  использованием  этого  института польской армией во время польско-большевистской войны 1920 года, в свете законодатель-ства, регулирующего этот вопрос в то время, и судебной практики польских судов в этой области после окончания военных действий.

S. Kowalska, Umowa międzynarodowa w sferze kultury - wybrane aspekty ustrojowo-prawne / International Treaties - Selected Systemic and Legal Regulations, [in:] S. Kowalska, A. Kędziora, M.J. Śmiałek (eds.), Polacy na obczyźnie, Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań, ISBN 978-83-65512-01-7, Poznań-Kalisz 2016, pp. 221-235

The article attempts to analyse legal and extralegal factors concerning the conservation
of archaeological objects in Poland.
The basic problems conservators of archaeological objects face are the imperfection
of Polish law in the area of protection and care of archaeological objects and archaeologists’
insufficient knowledge on the importance of conservation in the process of archaeological
research.
The imperfection of the law results in: the lack of requirements for education and
experience of people carrying out conservation works of archaeological objects; lack of
supervision over the quality of the conservation works carried out; failure of the law to
prosecute the destruction of archaeological objects during self-conservation; and a transfer
of the responsibility for conservation of archaeological objects to museums and other
institutions which store such objects, at the same time without granting them financial
and legal tools for the proper accomplishment of this task.
In turn, the effects of archaeologists’ insufficient knowledge about the importance of
conservation of archaeological objects are: conservators are not treated as partners in the
research process and archaeologists’ widespread approval for entrusting the conservation
of archaeological objects to people without proper qualifications.

The issue of admitting paternity to a conceived child taken up by the author is not a father’s subject right, however, it is regulated by the civil law. This article contains the analysis of material laws concerning the acknowledgement of a  conceived child, not an unborn one. It must be emphasized that it is not a broad regulation, though it is followed by certain consequences, among which the problem of nasciturus’ life and health care, deserve a  special recognition. The child’s interest, as a principal rule of family law, indicates that it is the parents’ responsibility to take care of a  child, also in the prenatal period. A  fundamental problem can be shown in the question: Can a man who admits a  child successfully perform his duties which aim at protecting the life and the health of his child? The author does not settle the case but he offers certain solutions, which not only are confirmed in literature but could lead to expanding father’s rights concerning his child.

Kwestia uznania dziecka poczętego podjęta przez autora nie jest prawem podmiotowym ojca dziecka, jest jednak przedmiotem regulacji przepisów na gruncie prawa cywilnego. Artykuł zawiera analizę przepisów materialnych związanych z uznaniem dziecka poczętego, a nienarodzonego. Trzeba zaznaczyć, że nie jest to szeroka regulacja, jednakże rodzi ona kilka konsekwencji, wśród których na szczególne uznanie zasługuje problem ochrony życia i zdrowia nasciturusa. Dobro dziecka, jako naczelna zasada prawa rodzinnego, wskazuje, że rodzice mają obowiązek troski o dziecko także w okresie prenatalnym. Zasadniczy problem można przedstawić w pytaniu: czy ojciec uznający dziecko może skutecznie dokonywać czynności, których celem będzie ochrona życia i zdrowia jego dziecka? Autor nie rozstrzyga tej kwestii, lecz proponuje pewne rozwiązania, które nie tylko znajdują potwierdzenie w literaturze, ale także mogłyby przyczynić się do poszerzenia uprawnień ojca w stosunku do własnego dziecka.

The subject of the article is the problem of public burdens in the form of personal and in-kind contributions in the event of a state of natural disaster. The state of natural disaster justifies the need for the legislator to refer to the idea of a special sacrifice for the public interest, which is expressed in the activation of the mechanism of constitutional public contributions, both personal and in-kind contributions.

Zusammenfassung In der 32. Sitzung des Sejms der gegenwärtigen Legislaturperiode hat die Kammer in der ersten Lesung fünf Gesetzentwürfe über die breit gefasste Regulierung von Lebenspartnerschaften abgelehnt. Art. 18 der Verfassung der Republik Polen sieht vor: " Die Ehe als Verbindung von Frau und Mann, Familie, Mutterschaft und das Elternrecht stehen unter dem Schutz und der Obhut der Republik Polen ". Dieser Artikel ordnet den Staat an, solche Maßnahmen vorzunehmen, die die Bindung zwischen den die Familie bildenden Personen verstärken. Art. 18 der Verfassung, indem er den öffentlichen Gewaltorganen der Republik Polen auferlegt, Ehe und Familie unter Schutz und Obhut zu stellen, impliziert das Verbot, durch diese Organe Maßnahmen zu ergreifen, die das Ziel haben, für die tatsächlich bestehenden Emotional-und Vermögensbeziehung von zwei Personen, die eine nichteheliche Form der Lebensgemeinschaft darstellt, solche Regelungen zu schaffen, die sie in Rechtsgestalt an die Ehe bezüglich der Bestimmung von Rechten und Pflichten der Personen, die sich in dieser Beziehung befinden sowie der Frage ihrer Schließung oder Auflösung, anpassen oder sie dieser gleichsetzen. Die Scharia – das islamische Recht – sieht vor, dass die aus einem Mann und einer Frau bestehende Familie die Grundlage der Gesellschaft bildet, weil die Ehe die einzige berechtigte, legale Art der Befriedigung des sexuellen Triebes zwischen Mann und Frau ist. Das Wesen des islamischen Familienrechts ist eine vollständige Kontrolle und Regulierung des Familienlebens. Dieses Ziel schwebt auch dem ehelichen Vertrag vor, der die Rechte und Pflichten der Parteien bestimmt, von denen nur eine (der Mann) an den Vertragsverhandlungen teilnimmt. Keyword die Ehe – die Familie – die Scharia – nikah – mahr

Abstract: The aim of the article is to analyze, in a comparative perspective, the principle which claims that the bundle of rights incorporated in a share cannot be split into separate rights which are supposed to be transferred to the third parties without simultaneous transfer of the share as such in Polish and Austrian company law. A scientific problem aimed to be solved is a response to the question whether it is acceptable and desirable from the point of view of company law as such, and in particular from the point of view of the impact of third parties on the self-direction of the company, to transfer an individual right separated from the bundle of rights incorporated in a share, on the example of voting right. The article aims to deal with the following issues:
1) what is the influence of the Austrian jurisprudence on the formation of the Austrian case law in respect of the possibility of a transfer of voting rights incorporated in a share without a simultaneous transfer of this share in the Austrian limited liability company on the example of the judgment of the Austrian Supreme Court from 13th October 2011 (6 Ob 202/10i);
2) what is the influence of the Polish jurisprudence on the formation of the Polish case law in respect of the possibility of a transfer of voting rights incorporated in a share without a simultaneous transfer of this share in the Polish limited liability company on the example of the judgment of the Court of Appeal in Warsaw from 5th January 2006 (I ACa 630/05).
In this article it will be shown in which ways the courts refer to the principles of company law developed by the doctrine to justify their reasoning. 

Key words: company law, limited liability company, share, voting rights, Austrian law, Polish law

Introduction to the separate property regime in Polish law – The aim of the paper is to provide clear description of the separate property regime in Polish law. First preliminary issues were given about the characteristic of the Polish legal system and the important for the whole system of law in Poland. Next, the matrimonial property regimes are shortly described. The pivot of the paper is the 3rd part in which the separate property regime is described. The conclusion is that law does not regulate the regime in question in every detail, so for better understanding of the regime one must consult the judgments of the courts and opinions of the representatives of the legal doctrine.

The rapid development of contemporary Polish-Ukrainian relations and the emigration of Ukrainians to Poland and EU countries require more and more lawyers to provide cross-border legal services. However, the emerging barriers between the countries effectively limit the possibilities for cooperation. It is particularly important to determine the extent of involvement of Polish lawyers in Ukraine and Ukrainians in Poland and to explain the reasons for their lack of involvement. It is also important to determine the consequences of the observed problem and the development strategy for the future.

The present research is part of a larger study on the internationalisation of the Polish justice system and the provision of cross-border legal services. Methodologically, the study has been performed through structured interviews among representatives of Polish lawyers and questionnaires among all Polish lawyers. It was supplemented by non-reactive methods: an analysis of statistical data, an anthropomastic analysis, a content analysis of websites, and a functional analysis of legal acts.

The results of the study show that Polish lawyers do not practice in Ukraine at all, and no more than 20 Ukrainian jurists work in Poland. The reasons are the border barriers and the lack of demand for mutual legal services, as well as cultural differences. The low level of involvement of the Polish and Ukrainian Bar Associations also contributes to the low level of provision of cross-border legal services. Nevertheless, Ukrainian immigrants to Poland are increasingly becoming Polish lawyers. Currently, the involvement of Ukrainian lawyers in the Polish legal services market is slowly increasing. This confused situation will likely change later this decade.

The first civil code of the People’s Republic of China in the history was adopted by the 13th National People’s Congress in Beijing on 28 May 2020 and will enter into effect on 1 January 2021. The new civil code puts much more emphasis on the sustainable development and protection of the environment and because of that, the Chinese private law has begun to respond to ecological problems as well. The aim of this article is to show the progress and prospects of implementing Sustainable Development clauses to the civil law system of the People’s Republic of China and to show how these solutions can become an inspiration for the development of Polish law in this matter. Legal comparative and normative analyses are methods which were used in this academic article to discuss and explain this problem.

The present article synthetically analyses – at the 100th anniversary of the restoration of Poland’s sovereignty – the evolution and shaping of the legal system of the Polish state. The shaping of an independent Polish state was not an oneoff act but a process consisting of a number of acts, both of political and legal nature. The discussion aims at the analysis of the issues related to the legal process of the reconstruction of the Polish Republic during at the beginning of its existence, with special emphasis on the role of the Basic Law in this process.

Niniejszy artykuł stanowi syntetyczną analizę ewolucji i kształtowania się systemu prawnego państwa polskiego w setną rocznicę odzyskania niepodległości w 1918 r. Proces kształtowania się niepodległego państwa polskiego nie był aktem jednorazowym, lecz składało się na niego szereg aktów, zarówno o charakterze politycznym, jak i o charakterze prawnym. Celem niniejszych rozważań jest analiza zagadnień związanych z procesem prawnym odbudowy Rzeczypospolitej w pierwszych latach jej istnienia, ze szczególnym uwzględnieniem materii dotyczącej roli Konstytucji RP w tym procesie.

In the light of old Polish law, based on the system of norms of peasant slavery, understood as a legal institution, the flight of peasants was qualified as an illegal act, which was subject various to legal sanctions. The reason why peasants chose to become fugitives was usually their desire to improve living conditions. The direction the fugitives took was another village (a different demesne), a town (private or royal); peasants even crossed state borders. This analysis draws attention to the most important legal problems related to the flight of peasants in old Poland concerning the sources of law as regards the flight of peasants, ways of seeking to release a peasant by means of court proceedings, types of sanctions for such flight, and forms of peasants' abandonment of master's property other than flight.

W świetle dawnego prawa polskiego stojącego na gruncie systemu norm niewoli chłopskiej rozumianej jako instytucja prawna, zbiegostwo chłopów posiadało kwalifikację czynu nielegalnego, który zagrożony był różnorodnymi sankcjami prawnymi. Przyczynami zbiegostwa była zazwyczaj chęć poprawy warunków egzystencji. Kierunkiem jaki obierali zbiegowie była inna wieś (inny majątek ziemski), miasto (prywatne lub królewskie) lub nawet chłopi uchodzili poza granice państwa. Niniejsza analiza zwraca uwagę na najważniejsze problemy prawne związane ze zbiegostwem chłopów w dawnej Polsce dotyczące źródeł prawa w zakresie zbiegostwa chłopów, sposobów dochodzenia na drodze sądowej do wydania zbiega, rodzajów sankcji za zbiegostwo, oraz innych niż zbiegostwo form opuszczania przez chłopów majątku pańskiego.

W artykule omówiono praktykę odwoływania się do filozofów w uzasadnieniach orzeczeń polskich sądów. Kwantytatywne i kwalitatywne studium orzecznictwa sądów powszechnych, sądów administracyjnych, Sądu Najwyższego oraz Trybunału Konstytucyjnego pozwoliło na sformułowanie kilku głównych wniosków. Po pierwsze, jakkolwiek odniesienia do filozofów w orzeczeniach są w ujęciu proporcjonalnym
czymś rzadkim, to zarazem mierzone w liczbach bezwzględnych
nie stanowią przypadków sporadycznych. Po drugie w ostatnich dwóch dekadach nastąpiła wyraźna intensyfikacja przywoływania filozofów w judykatach. Po trzecie odwołania do filozofów realizują szereg różnych funkcji wpisujących się w klaryfikacyjne i perswazyjne cele uzasadnienia orzeczenia. Po czwarte stosunek judykatury i stron postępowania do obecności racji filozoficznych w procesie orzeczniczym
jest niejednolity. Tytułowe zagadnienie nie stanowi kolejnej odsłony doktrynalnego dyskursu o „sędziach filozofach” na podobieństwo Dworkinowskiego „sędziego Herkulesa”. Przywoływanie filozofów przez sądy w pierwszej kolejności przynależy do problematyki stylu uzasadnienia orzeczeń oraz roli źródeł pozaprawnych
w racjonalizacji – a nie tyle w podejmowaniu – sądowych rozstrzygnięć. W przekonaniu autora przeprowadzone studium orzecznictwa ukazuje utylitarny potencjał filozofii dla sądowej argumentacji.

The public burdens for the defence of the State analysed in this article are connected with the obligation to defend the Homeland in force in the Polish legal order and are borne by the citizens in the event of an announcement of mobilisation or during a war. These burdens are contributions in kind, against payment, which serve a specific administrative purpose - a public undertaking, the content of which consists in making available for use for the benefit of the armed forces or other State units performing tasks for the needs of the State, possessed means of transport for the purposes of preparing or conducting the defence of the State.

At this conference we would like to explore the origins and development of the Silesian Voivodeship from a legal-historical perspective in the broadest sense. Scholars from all relevant academic disciplines and levels of qualification who can contribute to an exploration of this interspace are invited to send a brief outline of the paper and a CV to kamila.staudigl-ciechowicz@univie.ac.at or martin.loehnig@ur.de by 6 May 2022. The selected topics (notification by 13.05.2022) will be presented and discussed at a conference to be held in Regensburg at the end of March 2023. The revised texts will be published in a conference volume. Travel and accommodation costs will be reimbursed.

The aim of this publication is to present foreign readers with the first English course on Polish competition law. The book consists of three parts. First is a monographic presentation of the Polish antimonopoly law. The considerations are not, however, limited to the antimonopoly act in force. Presentation of the current model of the competition law is preceded by the comprehensive theoretical study laying down the origins and basic definitions of contemporary Polish antimonopoly law. The second part is a selection of judicial case law in competition cases. Its role is to provide a reader with a practical insight into how the competition law is applied by the courts and what are the most important issues developed by the judiciary. The last part brings basic legal texts. It enables readers to confront the theoretical background and the case law with actual wording of relevant regulations or soft law documents. a combination of these three parts aims at giving an overview of the Polish
competition law. The three parts supplement each other and are cross-referenced. Such method allows avoiding duplication of certain contents. Therefore it is suggested to study all three parts in parallel in order to get the more comprehensive view of the presented issues.

State of implementation of Racial Equality Directive and Employment Equality Directive in Poland - legislation, case law, policy (until 31 December 2016).

The Racial Equality Directive (2000/43/EC) prohibits discrimination on the ground of racial or ethnic origin in a broad range of fields, including employment, social protection and social advantages, education, and goods and services available to the public, including housing. The Employment Equality Directive (2000/78/EC), however, is limited to the field of employment and occupation but covers the grounds of religion or belief, disability, age and sexual orientation. The adoption of the Racial Equality Directive and the Employment Equality Directive initiated a movement throughout Europe, in EU Member States and beyond, towards the adoption of national non-discrimination legislations transposing the provisions of the directives. In many Member States, this movement implied quite profound changes to the existing legislative framework, through the amendment of existing legislation or the adoption of new unprecedented laws and regulations to specifically regulate the prohibition of discrimination in accordance with the directives’ requirements.
In order to effectively promote equality and tackle discrimination in the European Union it is important to understand the effects of the EU's equal treatment and non-discrimination legislation.
The European Commission therefore set up the European network of legal experts in gender equality and non-discrimination to support its work by providing independent information and advice on relevant developments in the Member States. The network is managed by Human European Consultancy (HEC), the Migration Policy Group (MPG) and Utrecht University (UU) on behalf of the European Commission.
A primary task of the network is to provide reliable, expert information to enable the Commission to fulfil their role as guardian of the treaties. The disclosure and gathering of information on non-discrimination legislation, case law and developments at national level, that is often not easily accessible due to the specificities of national legal systems, language barriers and difficulties in finding relevant information, is therefore one of the key goals of the new network. [https://www.equalitylaw.eu]

Adam Redzik, Lexicon of Polish Lawyers and Economics: Maurycy Allerhand – 2018
patron of “The Voice of Law”
This section presents figures of the most distinguished Polish lawyers and economists. The aim is to provide a possibly broad depiction of their scientific, organizational, didactic and social achievements. In 2018, the patron of “The Voice of Law” is the patron of the Allerhand Institute – Maurycy Allerhand (1868-1942), and for this reason he will be presented as first in the “Lexicon of Polish Lawyers and Economists”.

Keywords: Maurcy Allerhand (1868-1942), commercial law, civil procedural law, law codification, Holocaust

State of implementation of Racial Equality Directive and Employment Equality Directive in Poland - legislation, case law, policy (until 31 December 2015).

The Racial Equality Directive (2000/43/EC) prohibits discrimination on the ground of racial or ethnic origin in a broad range of fields, including employment, social protection and social advantages, education, and goods and services available to the public, including housing. The Employment Equality Directive (2000/78/EC), however, is limited to the field of employment and occupation but covers the grounds of religion or belief, disability, age and sexual orientation. The adoption of the Racial Equality Directive and the Employment Equality Directive initiated a movement throughout Europe, in EU Member States and beyond, towards the adoption of national non-discrimination legislations transposing the provisions of the directives. In many Member States, this movement implied quite profound changes to the existing legislative framework, through the amendment of existing legislation or the adoption of new unprecedented laws and regulations to specifically regulate the prohibition of discrimination in accordance with the directives’ requirements.
In order to effectively promote equality and tackle discrimination in the European Union it is important to understand the effects of the EU's equal treatment and non-discrimination legislation.
The European Commission therefore set up the European network of legal experts in gender equality and non-discrimination to support its work by providing independent information and advice on relevant developments in the Member States. The network is managed by Human European Consultancy (HEC), the Migration Policy Group (MPG) and Utrecht University (UU) on behalf of the European Commission.
A primary task of the network is to provide reliable, expert information to enable the Commission to fulfil their role as guardian of the treaties. The disclosure and gathering of information on non-discrimination legislation, case law and developments at national level, that is often not easily accessible due to the specificities of national legal systems, language barriers and difficulties in finding relevant information, is therefore one of the key goals of the new network. [https://www.equalitylaw.eu]

This book considers the issue of free speech in transitional democracies focusing on the socio-legal developments in the Czech Republic, Hungary, and Poland. In showing how these Central and Eastern European countries have engaged with free speech models imported from the Council of Europe / EU and the USA, the book offers valuable insights into the ways States have responded to challenges associated with transformation from communism to Western democracy. The book first explores freedom of expression in European and American law looking particularly at hate speech, historical revisionism, and pornography. It subsequently enquires into the role and perspectives of those European (mandatory) and US-American (persuasive) models for the constitutional debate in Central and Eastern Europe. The study offers an original interpretation of the "European" model of freedom of expression, beyond the mechanisms of the Council of Europe. It encompasses the relevant aspects of EU law (judgments of the Court of Justice and the harmonised EU instruments) as mandatory standards for courts and legislators, including those in transitional countries of Central and Eastern Europe. The book argues for de-criminalisation of historical revisionism and pornography, and illuminates topics such as genocide denial, the rise of Prague and Budapest as Europe’s porno-capitals, anti-Semitism and anti-Gypsyism, glorification of terrorism, religious obscurantism and homophobia. The research methodology in this study combines a descriptive case law assessment (comparative constitutional, public international, and EU law) with a normative critique stemming from post-structuralist scrutiny, rhetoric, postmodern legal movements, legal history, history of ideas, and art criticism.

The article the duty to provide transport services which lay with local administration units in the Kingdom of Poland (1815-1918) – rural and municipal commune. The research covers two periods in the history of the Kingdom, namely the so-called constitutional period, from the Congress of Vienna to the November Uprising, and then the period of limiting political separateness after the fall of the Uprising, until the end of the Kingdom as a result of World War I. The author draws attention to the essence and nature of commune self-government and public burdens (obligations) which lay on it., putting particular emphasis on the extremely onerous commune burdens that were borne by the population for the benefit of the army and public officials.

Przedmiot niniejszej analizy związany pozostaje z posługami o charakterze transportowym, których obowiązek dostarczania spoczywał na lokalnej jednostce administracji w Królestwie Polskim (1815-1918), jaką była organizacja gminna, zarówno wiejska, jak i miejska. Cezura badań obejmuje dwa okresy w dziejach Królestwa, a mianowicie okres tzw. konstytucyjny, od kongresu wiedeńskiego do powstania listopadowego, a następnie okres ograniczania odrębności ustrojowych po upadku powstania, aż do zakończenia bytu Królestwa wskutek I wojny światowej. Autor niniejszych rozważań zwraca uwagę na istotę i charakter samorządu gminnego i spoczywających na nim ciężarów (powinności) publicznych, kładąc szczególnie akcent analizy na niezwykle uciążliwe ciężary gminne, które świadczone były przez ludność na rzecz wojska i urzędników państwowych.