What is ‘economic criminal law’?

Abstract

The objective of this paper is to reconstruct the meaning of term ‘economic criminal law’, which is imprecise but widespread in Polish legal culture. It also aims to compose an adequate definition of the concept denoted by this name. The author applied an array of methods: analysis of scholarly statements, historical and comparative analysis as well as the analysis of the law in force. The term ‘economic criminal law’ is a product of linguistic convention manifesting itself in legal discourse. In search of its meaning the author relied mainly on scrutiny of the wording of the discussed name. The content of this notion is composed of so-called economic offences. It was essential to determine common characteristics of such crimes. Having rejected so-called subjective conceptions and ideas referring to criminology and sociology, the author posited the object of a type of crime as the definition’s rudiment. A proper description of the common generic object of economic crimes assumes a compromise between vagueness and rigidity of lengthy enumerations. ‘Economic criminal law’ can be described as a peculiar division of substantive criminal law distinguished by legal theory and practice. It is composed of regulations that establish types of crime, which share a common main generic object of protection which (in a historical and cultural context) are relevant bases of proper trading both in internal, and in external aspects. These two dimensions represent relations between trading participants and institutions and rules of trading, respectively.