Sławomir Patyra

The Constitutional Tribunal as the Guardian of the Constitution: Current State and de lege ferenda Conclusions

The article is devoted to the issue of the importance of the Constitutional Tribunal as a body that guarantees the supremacy of the Constitution in a political system based on the principle of a democratic state ruled by law. While reviewing the compliance of the law with the Constitution, the Tribunal is also a particularly important guarantor of the protection of freedoms and human rights, protecting citizens against arbitrary interference by ruling politicians in the sphere of individual freedom. The basic condition for the effective performance of the Tribunal’s functions is its independence from political authorities. Changes in the functioning of the Constitutional Tribunal, introduced after 2015, deprived the Tribunal of the ability to effectively perform the function of guardian of the Constitution and protector of freedoms and human rights. As a result, the current Tribunal is the anti­thesis of the constitutional court within the meaning of constitutional and international democratic standards. In the last part of the article, the authors present the basic assumptions of the bills prepared by legal experts of the Stefan Batory Foundation, aimed at restoring the proper functioning of the Constitutional Tribunal in Poland.

The article deals with the issue of the constitutional basis for the functioning of the National Bar of Attorneys-at-Law as set forth in Article 17 of the Basic Law. The author stresses the particular importance of bar associations functioning independently from political power, linking their constitutional attributes to the axiology of the democratic system. He infers the need to preserve the independence of the National Bar of Attorneys-at-Law from their systemic function as protectors of the freedoms and rights of individuals and as collaborators in the administration of justice. The key determinant of the place and role of bar associations in the system of law protection authorities is their constitutional status of public trust professions and the related function of protecting the public interest in the activities of the National Bar of Attorneys-at-Law. Further in the paper, the author focuses on the issue of ensuring the proper practice of the profession by the National Bar of Attorneys-at-Law, e.g., through disciplinary liability mechanisms, which in essence are supposed to guarantee politically independent, reliable, and effective legal assistance is provided by attorneys-at-law to their clients. In the last part of the publication, the author points out the current threats to the constitutionally guaranteed independence of the National Bar of Attorneys-at-Law, seeing their sources in the consistent questioning of the rule of law standards by political authorities. According to the author, its manifestations include, inter alia, excessive interference by the Minister of Justice in the field of professional self-government of the attorneys-at-law and attempts by politicians of the ruling majority to question the constitutionality of the principle of mandatory membership in the National Bar of Attorneys-at-Law, which is fundamental for the independent and effective functioning of this professional association.

Artykuł podejmuje problematykę konstytucyjnych podstaw funkcjonowania samorządu zawodowego radców prawnych, określonych w art. 17 ustawy zasadniczej. Autor podkreśla szczególną wagę funkcjonowania niezależnych od władzy politycznej samorządów prawniczych, łącząc ich konstytucyjne atrybuty z aksjologią ustroju demokratycznego. Potrzebę zachowania niezależnego samorządu radców prawnych wywodzi z ich ustrojowej funkcji protektorów wolności i praw jednostki oraz współpracowników wymiaru sprawiedliwości. Kluczowym determinantem miejsca i roli samorządów prawniczych w systemie organów ochrony prawa jest przypisany im konstytucyjnie status zawodów zaufania publicznego i powiązana z nim funkcja ochrony interesu publicznego w działalności samorządu radców prawnych. W dalszej części opracowania autor skupia się na kwestii realizowania przez samorząd radcowski pieczy nad należytym wykonywaniem zawodu, m.in. za pomocą mechanizmów odpowiedzialności dyscyplinarnej, która w istocie służyć ma gwarantowaniu niezależnej politycznie, rzetelnej, a przez to efektywnej pomocy prawnej, świadczonej przez radców prawnych wobec ich klientów. W ostatniej części publikacji autor wskazuje na aktualne zagrożenia dla konstytucyjnie gwarantowanej niezależności samorządu radców prawnych, ich źródeł upatrując w konsekwentnym kwestionowaniu przez władzę polityczną standardów praworządności. Do jej przejawów zalicza m.in. nadmierną ingerencję Ministra Sprawiedliwości w sferę funkcjonowania samorządu radcowskiego oraz próby kwestionowania przez polityków rządzącej większości zgodności z Konstytucją RP fundamentalnej dla niezależnego i efektywnego funkcjonowania samorządu radców prawnych zasady obowiązkowej przynależności do tego samorządu.

Tasks of the National Bar of Attorneys-at-Law in the light of art. 17.1 of the Constitution of the Republic of Poland

The article deals with the issue of the constitutional basis for the functioning of the National Bar of Attorneys-at-Law as set forth in Article 17 of the Basic Law. The author stresses the particular importance of bar associations functioning independently from political power, linking their constitutional attributes to the axiology of the democratic system. He infers the need to preserve the independence of the National Bar of Attorneys-at-Law from their systemic function as protectors of the freedoms and rights of individuals and as collaborators in the administration of justice. The key determinant of the place and role of bar associations in the system of law protection authorities is their constitutional status of public trust professions and the related function of protecting the public interest in the activities of the National Bar of Attorneys-at-Law. Further in the paper, the author focuses on the issue of ensuring the proper practice of the profession by the National Bar of Attorneys-at-Law, e.g., through disciplinary liability mechanisms, which in essence are supposed to guarantee politically independent, reliable, and effective legal assistance is provided by attorneys-at-law to their clients. In the last part of the publication, the author points out the current threats to the constitutionally guaranteed independence of the National Bar of Attorneys-at-Law, seeing their sources in the consistent questioning of the rule of law standards by political authorities. According to the author, its manifestations include, inter alia, excessive interference by the Minister of Justice in the field of professional self-government of the attorneys-at-law and attempts by politicians of the ruling majority to question the constitutionality of the principle of mandatory membership in the National Bar of Attorneys-at-Law, which is fundamental for the independent and effective functioning of this professional association.