About the Pro-Constitutional Interpretative Directive In Dubio Pro Vita Humana

Keywords: interpretation of law, Constitution, health, life, reimbursement

English abstract: The article discusses the interpretative directive in dubio pro vita humana (Latin: „when in doubt, favour human life”), as well as its popularization, including encouraging public administration bodies and courts to apply it more widely. The article aims to answer the following research problems: What are the main sources of the in dubio pro vita humana directive in the Polish legal system? What is its content and its key assumptions? What are the potential implications of its application in legal practice? What is the object-related scope of its application?
The formal-dogmatic method is used in the study.
The interpretative directive in dubio pro vita humana is rooted in the constitutional protection of human dignity, life and health. It is confirmed in the views expressed by legal scholars, as well as in the case law of the Constitutional Tribunal and administrative courts. However, in order to increase the scale of its application in practice, it should be regulated by law. The content of the directive is such that it requires any possible doubts about the protection of human life to be resolved in favour of this protection. Applying this directive is pivotal for ensuring institutional healthcare in Poland by choosing such a result of interpretation of provisions of law that maximizes the protection of human life and health. Its object-related scope of application is most strongly linked to healthcare law, but it is also applicable to the interpretation of provisions in other branches of law (for example, in criminal or welfare law), even if prima facie they do not seem directly related to the protection of human health and life. The results are important not only for Polish law, but also for the interpretation of foreign laws and EU law. It seems that this directive may also find its application outside the legal system – for solving ethical problems. An offshoot of this study is the possibility of referring at least part of the comments made to the legal protection of animals, which may contribute to its strengthening and to development of legal science in this area (in dubio pro vita animalium).

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