Electronic Injunctive Proceedings - the Future of the Polish Criminal Procedure

Abstract

The article is intended to analyse the possibility of implementing electronic injunctive proceedings into the Polish criminal procedure. The rationale for that action, the positive aspects and the barriers to the implementation of the proposed solutions have been identified. The author analysed the historical development of injunctive proceedings and subjected the existing regulations to legal-dogmatic analysis from the perspective of the solutions proposed. The results of the study pointed to the possibility of electronization of the injunctive proceedings, presenting a broad justification for this direction of change in the criminal procedure. The author proposes two stages of modification of the electronic injunctive procedure, distinguishing the electronic injunctive procedure of the first degree and of the second degree. As part of the 1st-degree electronic injunctive procedure, it was proposed to electronize individual procedural acts, in particular the service of procedural documents and keeping the court records, but also to change the jurisdiction of courts which decide cases through injunctive proceedings, by establishing one or a maximum 2 to 4 courts dealing exclusively with injunctive proceedings. Depriving district courts (sądy rejonowe) of the competence to consider injunctive cases would, in the author's opinion, accelerate the consideration of other criminal cases. The 2nd-degree electronic injunctive procedure would include an element of AI implementation, which should be subject to evolution, starting from the proposing of a substantive resolution of the case to automating the process of issuing injunctive judgments.