Search Results for: administrative case law Language: Polish

Determining Temporal Limits of Court’s Interpretative Decision (in Light of the Case Law of Administrative Courts)

Dr Tomasz Grzybowski, Dr Marta Sarnowiec-Cisłak

SGH Warsaw School of Economics

Abstract: Subject of consideration in this article remains the problem of changing direction of interpretation in judicial-administrative jurisprudence, which sometimes produces consequences similar to the effects of a legislative change. Against this background, the authors attempt to formulate a description of the practice of application of law, i.e. to present jurisprudential arguments supporting decision on the scope of application of interpreted legal norm, as well as to reconstruct underlying assumptions. Using an example of two groups of selected judgments, authors consider cases in which argumentation of the temporal scope of impact of a particular interpretative direction appears in the justifications of administrative court decisions. The analysis carried out confirms that although courts generally assume the retrospective impact of interpretation, in a situation where the content of the derived legal norm fundamentally deviates from previous interpretative practice, they seek legitimization of their actions by justifying the intertemporal decision with constitutional values. These values provide an essential interpretive framework reflecting the cultural model prevalent in the native legal communication community. If courts perceive a risk of violating the values underlying the prohibition of retroactivity, such as legal certainty or principle of trust in public authorities, they indicate reasons for limiting the temporal scope of interpretation pro futuro, or on the contrary, for its effect ex tunc. Against this background, the retrospective effect of interpretation appears not as a consequence of interpretation being made, but rather as a kind of interpretative presumption that can be rebutted or confirmed if arguments are made that allow the interpretation to apply only to future states, or that give additional suport for retrospective application of new interpretation.

Keywords: change of interpretation, temporal limits, administrative courts, retrospectivity, legal certainty, principle of trust in public authorities, justification.

Language: polish

Opublikowano: nr 2(39) 2024, s. 5-18.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.36280/AFPiFS.2024.2.5

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Number of downloads: 298

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From Legal Protection Towards Animal Rights: Between Moral and Legal Consciousness. Evolution of Approach on the Example of Administrative Case Law

Dr hab. Anna Kalisz, mgr Dorota Pawlicka

Maria Curie-Skłodowska University in Lublin, Supreme Administrative Court

English abstract: The aim of the article is to analyse the possibility and necessity of empowering animals as ‘non-personal’ legal subjects under Polish law, indicating the relevant case law (of ordinary and, mainly, administrative courts). The research assumption is the statement that, although administrative case law contains elements of a fairly progressive approach that results in an interpretation of the applicable provisions on the protection and (rudimentarily regulated) animal rights, the existing provisions are far from sufficient and leave quite a lot of room for a very flexible interpretation. That may lead not solely to an animal-friendly interpretation, but also to abuses against them. Therefore, postulated amendments concerning constitutional protection of animal rights deserve attention, as they would be important for the systemic interpretation of law. The research subject is both philosophical and legal literature, as well as case law. The main method is the logico-linguistic analysis (with some elements of historical and comparative approach) of texts on philosophy, including legal philosophy and ethics, as well as the analysis of case law. The research findings have a mixed, descriptive-and-normative character, while the above combination of ethics, legal theory, and legal practice both manifests the evolution of the approach to the titular matter and makes an original contribution to jurisprudence as a scientific discipline.

Keywords: social consciousness, sentient animals, legal protection of animals, animal rights, constitutional protection, administrative case law

Language: Polish

Published: Number 2(31)/2022, pp. 38-53.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.36280/AFPiFS.2022.2.38

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Number of downloads: 453

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

dr Wiktor Krzymowski

Koźmiński University in Warsaw

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).

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

Language: Polish

Published: nr 3(40)/2024, pp. 27-40.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.36280/AFPiFS.2024.3.27

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Number of downloads: 251

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Legal Certainty and the Interpretatio Retro Non Agit Principle

Prof. UŚ dr hab. Agnieszka BIELSKA-BRODZIAK, dr Marek SUSKA

University of Silesia in Katowice

English abstract: Referring to Józef Nowacki’s research on the principle of non-retroactivity of law [lex retro non agit], the authors of this study focus on the relationship between legal certainty and retroactive changes in the prevailing interpretation of legal provisions. The main topic of the study is the expression ‘interpretatio retro non agit‘, which is already well-known in the legal culture, but not widely used. The objectives of the study were: (1) to determine the content related, or potentially related, to the statement above in case law and literature; (2) to examine whether there are grounds to consider this principle as binding in adjudication; and (3) to explain why changes in the prevailing interpretation of legal provisions are perceived as a necessary evil. The research gave the authors a basis to distinguish between two understandings of the interpretatio retro non agit principle: the narrow one and the broad one. Moreover, the broad understanding contains four sub-types of the thus understood principle. The narrow approach prohibits recognizing a change in the prevailing interpretation as a circumstance that would allow legally valid court judgments or final administrative decisions to be challenged. On the other hand, the broad approach introduces a presumption that legal effects should not be ascribed solely because of a change in the prevailing interpretation that occurred after the legal fact took place. Four possible justifications for the interpretatio retro non agit principle were also considered: formal, natural, cultural, and instrumental justification. The authors found that the instrumental justification, which connects the principle with the value of legal certainty, seems to be the most appropriate. However, some elements of the principle can also be convincingly justified formally. Retroactive interpretation changes are only briefly discussed in literature, which the authors regard as an unfavourable state of affairs. However, the fundamental differences between law-making and the application of law allow us to understand that protecting the addressees of the law in practice is much more complicated in cases of applying the law.

Keywords: legal certainty, legal interpretation, consistent line of case law, interpretatio retro non agit, ex post facto laws

Language: Polish

Published: Number 3(36)/2023, s. 51-65.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.36280/AFPiFS.2023.3.51

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Number of downloads: 364

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The Choice of a Way of Life and the Consciousness of a Fundamental Rights

Prof. UŁ dr hab. Bartosz Wojciechowski

University of Lodz

English abstract: The article deals with the need for acceptance of pluralism of ways of life in modern legal orders, which should allow each individual to find his or her own modus vivendi in a diverse world. Such an attitude is particularly important in the discussion on LGBTQ rights, for which the starting point is the case law of the Supreme Administrative Court in these matters. The author points out that proper exercise of rights and tolerance for pluralism of values, beliefs and ways of life is not possible without legal consciousness of the entities belonging to certain minorities, which is built by a sensitive and pluralistic attitude of judges, reflected in their judgments.

Keywords: equality, (non)discrimination, identity, legal consciousness, axiological pluralism, human dignity, recognition

Language: Polish

Published: Number 2(31)/2022, pp. 97-108.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.36280/AFPiFS.2022.2.97

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Number of downloads: 454

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