Polish Civil Research Articles

Od rzymskiego prawa morskiego do polskiego prawa zobowiązań


 
 
 According to art. 438 of the Polish Civil Code: “Whoever suffers a material loss, forcibly or even voluntarily, in order to prevent damage to another person or to avoid common danger, is entitled to claim compensation for the loss sustained, in suitable proportions, from people who benefitted from it.” This institution finds its origin in the lex Rhodia de iactu, known in roman law. The proposal to extend the rhodian rule to cases other than those related to the danger for the ship is the heritage of medieval school of glossators. however, the transposition of an institution adapted to the conditions of maritime transport to the contemporary law of obligations is associated with specific problems. This particularly applies to the new character of this institution. The analysis of historical sources indicates that it is a sui generis liability that cannot be attributed to tort liability or negotiorum gestio.
 
 

Stan wyższej konieczności w Kodeksie cywilnym

Artykuł dotyczy tematyki na pograniczu prawa rzeczowego i zobowiązań. Stan wyższej konieczności jest określony w dwóch przepisach Kodeksu cywilnego – art. 142 i 424. Pierwszy z przepisów przewiduje uprawnienie dla ratującego dobro prawne do wkroczenia w sferę własności, przez co działa on legalnie. Mimo tego, w razie powstania szkody właściciel ma roszczenie do ratującego o kompensację szkody. Drugi z przepisów stanowi kontratyp, a więc okoliczność wyłączającą bezprawność. Oba te przepisy posługują się zbliżonymi konstrukcjami, a za największą różnicę należy uznać sposób uznawania kolizji dóbr. Problematyczna jest kwestia wzajemnego stosunku przepisów. Z przeprowadzonej analizy wynika, iż relację art. 142 do 424 k.c. można określić jako rozłączną, co wyklucza stosowanie obu przepisów naraz, a dopuszcza żądanie odszkodowania przez właściciela rzeczy na podstawie art. 142 k.c. Kwalifikacja nie zmieni się, jeśli uzna się art. 424 k.c za przepis wyłączający odpowiedzialność cywilną in genere; wtedy za lex specialis uzna się art. 142 k.c., a więc wyjątkowo dopuszczający żądanie odszkodowania w wypadku działania w stanie wyższej konieczności określonym w art. 424 k.c.

Accident Rate as a Measure of Safety Assessment in Polish Civil Engineering

Civil engineering is characterised by high volatility with respect to working conditions, which are the source of many threats to worker life and health and contribute to high accident rates. The purpose of this paper is to analyse and evaluate the phenomenon of accidents in Polish civil engineering and define the direction of changes that should occur in the safety area. The studies included in this research covered the years 2004–2018. The following indicators were used to assess the accident rates: (1) The total number of persons injured in workplace accidents and this total divided into fatal, severe, and minor accidents; (2) indicators of frequency of accidents in total and this total divided into minor, severe, and fatal accidents; (3) and an indicator of the severity of accidents. From the analysis of statistical data for the years 200–2018, the changes in accident rate parameters demonstrate the continuous improvement of workplace safety in the Polish civil engineering sector. From the analysed data from the 15 years, a clear decrease in the value of the applied indicators is apparent, including both the number of people involved in accidents and the frequency and severity of accidents.

Legal and Historical Perspective on Public Character of Cassation Complaint in Polish Civil Procedure

The text discusses the problem of mandatory representation by a lawyer as one of the legal solutions that are crucial for access to courts. The starting point for the author’s deliberations is the analysis of the institution of legal aid of a professional representative in litigation, which – along with other constructions – constitutes a guarantee of effective implementation of the right to court in civil matters. Against the background of these considerations, the author presents the construction of mandatory representation by a lawyer in the Polish legal system, with particular emphasis on its subjective and objective scope. These considerations are complemented by de lege ferenda conclusions, relating, among other things, to projects considered in the Polish doctrine concerning the extension of the scope of application of mandatory representation to proceedings before the court of second instance.

Access to the Supreme Court – Polish Approach

The article presents the evolution of cassation complaint in Polish civil procedure. The author describes the nature of this appellate measure and the requirements of its admissibility. Aditionally, the text provides an insight into a preliminary procedure designed to select cassation complaints, which will be subsequently examined by the Supreme Court on the merits. The author depicts the evolution of Polish cassation into an extraordinary appellate measure and analyses how it has affected access to the Supreme Court. He argues that the preliminary acceptance procedure does not constitute a limitation of the admissibility of the cassation complaint. It is an additional, independent instrument regulating access to the Supreme Court. In his view, selection of admissible complaints with regard to preliminary acceptance is a better solution than developing limitations related to the admissibility of cassation complaints. The author concludes that requirements for cassation complaints are high and difficult to fulfil. The special character of cassation complaint, the relevance of the institution of preliminary selection, as well as other limitations, justify the thesis that Polish procedural law provides only a narrow access to the Supreme Court.

Cassation Attorneys in the Polish Civil Proceedings

The text presents selected issues concerning parties’ obligatory professional representation in Polish cassation proceedings. It depicts the present regulation against a historical and comparative background. As its shape kept evolving over the years, its premises have been regularly revisited in the course of a doctrinal discussion. In recent times especially one question came to prominence. It touches upon an idea to introduce a special group of legal representatives who would be endowed with an exclusive right to act in the proceedings before the Supreme Court. The text recreates historical background of this institution in the Polish law and juxtaposes it with the present state, taking into account the nature of cassation proceedings, as well as the prospects of introducing such a legal specialisation in the future.

Notes regarding to an interpretation of the term “when performing the act” on the grounds of art. 430 Polish Civil Code.

Zgodnie z art. 430 polskiego kodeksu cywilnego kto na własny rachunek powierza wykonanie czynności osobie, która przy wykonywaniu tej czynności podlega jego kierownictwu i ma obowiązek stosować się do jego wskazówek, ten jest odpowiedzialny za szkodę wyrządzoną z winy tej osoby przy wykonywaniu powierzonej jej czynności. Oznacza to, że odpowiedzialność zwierzchnia powoduje wrzadzenie szkody "przy wykonywaniu czynności" a nie powoduje jej - wyrządzenie szkody przy okazji wykonywania czynności. Celem niniejszego artykułu jest przeanalizowanie, gdzie przebiega granica pomiedzy pojęciem "przy wykonywaniu czynności" a pojęciem "przy okazji wykonywania czynności". Po analizie stanoisk orzecznictwa i doktryny w artykupe postawiono tezę, że szkoda jest wykonywania "przy wykonywaniu czynności" tylko jeśli sprawca dzialał w wykonaniu powierzonych czynności albo w celu ochrony interesu zwierzchnika a nie jeśli wykonywanie czynności dało mu jedynie możliwość jej wyrządzenia.

Donation in contemplation of death as an example of datio ob rem in Roman law

Donation in contemplation of death was one of the basic examples of datio ob rem which is an essential element of condictio causa data causa non secuta, which is the Roman root of the contemporary concept of performance rendered for an intended purpose that has not been achieved within the meaning of art. 410 § 2 of the Polish civil code of 1964. In this article the legal nature of this donation and various forms of its application are described. Particular attention is paid to the purpose of the donor’s performance in relation to the general idea of “giving on purpose” (datio ob rem) in Roman law. Moreover, the evolution of donatio mortis causa towards its assimilation with the institution of Roman inheritance law, especially legacies, is shown.

Air Cargo Transportation in Poland - Trend Analysis and Forecast

Air freight transportation is the fastest developing branch of shipping services in Poland and Europe likewise. As the economy develops, demand for air freight is on the rise. Because of infrastructure insufficiencies, Polish airports rely on air cargo road feeder services (RFS). The aim of this paper is to analyze air freight transportation in Poland and to forecast air cargo traffic for the Chopin Airport in Warsaw for the years 2018 and 2019 using trend models. The data published by the Polish Civil Aviation Authority for the 2013–2017 period were applied. The analysis shows that thetransport accessibility of the Warsaw Airport significantly affects its overall passenger and cargo traffic. As the forecast suggests, the volume of cargo shipped by air through the Warsaw Airport will assume an upward trend.

„Prawo ubogich” w postępowaniu cywilnym w okresie dwudziestolecia międzywojennego w Polsce

<p>Instytucja „prawa ubogich” ma długą historię. Przepisy przyjęte w polskim prawie cywilnym okresu międzywojennego gwarantowały stronom swobodny i nieskrępowany dostęp do sądów. Wprowadzenie „prawa ubogich” było uzasadnione sporami sądowymi oraz względami fiskalnymi i społecznymi. Kodeks postępowania cywilnego określał kryteria korzystania z tej instytucji, uprawnione podmioty, a także skutki przyznania „prawa ubogich”.</p>

Prawo strony do przeniesienia do rejestru stanu cywilnego małżeństwa jednopłciowego – uwagi na tle orzecznictwa Europejskiego Trybunału Praw Człowieka w Strasburgu

<p>Zgodnie z polskim prawem, osoba, która za granicą zawarła związek małżeński, może domagać się jego transkrypcji - tj. przeniesienia do rejestru stanu cywilnego. To uprawnienie nie przysługuje jednak wszystkim osobom, które zawarły związek małżeński zgodnie z prawem obowiązującym za granicą. Niemożliwym w Polsce jest, między innymi, przeniesienie do polskiego rejestru aktów stanu cywilnego, małżeństwa homoseksualnego zawartego w innym kraju. W niniejszym artykule autor postara się odpowiedzieć na pytanie, czy stan prawny, gdzie małżeństwo skutecznie zawarte poza granicami Polski, w Polsce nie podlega prawnemu uznaniu, a w konsekwencji nie podlega żadnej ochronie prawnej, jest zgodny z minimalnymi standardami ochrony praw człowieka wytyczanymi Europejską Konwencją o Ochronie Praw Człowieka oraz orzecznictwem Europejskiego Trybunału Praw Człowieka w Strasburgu.</p>

Notion of an appropriate access to a public road or farm buildings pursuant to Art. 145(1) of the Polish Civil Code

The performance of the title to the land pursuant to its social and economic purpose requires, as a rule, an appropriate access to a public road as such access constitutes one of the basic needs of each real property owner. However, the location or configuration of the real property may limit or even exclude it. Granting the easement of the necessary road lies within the competencies of legal institutions allowing an appropriate access to a public road (Art. 145 of the Polish Civil Code). This institution allows the establishment by court of the real property easement ensuring the easement of access even against the will of the owner of the potentially encumbered real property. The grounds to establish such easement include lack of an appropriate access of the real property (or farm buildings) to a public road. The article analyses the case-law and literature concerning the interpretation of the notion of an appropriate access to a public road; the well known concepts were systematised and new interpretation variants were proposed in the scope of some aspects.

Polish civil procedure: yesterday, today nad tomorrow-Some remarks about recent changes of procedural law in poland

Polish civil procedural law is still the subject of numerous legislative changes. Only in recent years the Code of Civil Procedure has been amended over 30 times. These changes resulted from various reasons. Firstly, from the need of implementation of EU procedural law. Secondly, they were the result of the introduction of provisions aimed at adapting the code to modern technologies. Thirdly, changes aimed at speeding up the hearing of a civil case and at introducing some instruments to strengthen the protection of public interest in judicial proceedings. This article focuses on three selected examples and presents the discussion of the disputable issues that they have already arisen. Firstly, the topic of electronic process activities. It presents electronic pleadings, electronic delivery in trial, electronic judicial protocol and the possibility of presenting grounds of judgment in electronic form. Secondly, the new institution of a judgement rendered at closed session (in camera) was discussed. Thirdly, the article describes a new extraordinary complaint against final judgement, which can challenge any !nal judgment of a common court as a result of a prosecutor’s or other public-interest entity’s initiative.

Stulecie polskiego prawa urzędniczego

Centenary of Polish civil service lawThe article analyzes the legal regulations related to officers and employees working in the offices and organizational units of public administrations in Poland between 1918 and 2018. The results of the study were used to identify the main determinants of clerical law in the past century and to try to assess its consequences.

Vilnius staging district during the Polish–Soviet War 1919–1920

This paper has been developed based upon archive documents gathered at the “The Central Military Archives” in Warsaw, “The Border Guard Service Archives” in Szczecin, and the from the wider literature. The subject presented herein relates to the organisation of logistical support to the front line during the Polish–Soviet War 1919–1921, which so far has been described by researchers only to a minimal extent. In the first part of the article the author describes the system of the Polish civil administration in the territory of Lithuania. Then the author presents the military structures of the logistic support to the front line, i.e. a staging area. It describes the tasks of the Staging District (Vilnius Staging District Command Headquarters) and the lower levels of organisation to the rear of the front: staging prefectures /”prefecture stagings; in Poland ‘a powiat’ is an administrative unit lower than a province – translator’s note”/ and staging stations. The author acquaints the reader with the structure of “Staging Field Military Police, 22nd Voluntary Legion of Women and Vilnius Military Railway Guard Service”. The last segment of this paper describes the stage structures arrangement and functioning during 1920–1922, in the so-called Republic of Central Lithuania, that was created following the staged rebellion under the command of General Żeligowski.

WPŁYW NOWYCH TECHNOLOGII NA ZAGADNIENIE FORM TESTAMENTU W POLSKIM PRAWIE SPADKOWYM

W niniejszym artykule przybliżono kwestie związane z formą testamentu. Polski ustawodawca w art. 949-958 kodeksu cywilnego przewidział przepisy o formie testamentu oraz wskazał, że testament sporządzony z ich naruszeniem jest nieważny. W kontekście tych regulacji, a także dyskusji na temat zmian w polskim prawie cywilnym, konieczne wydaje się zastanowienie, czy aktualnie obowiązujące przepisy w zakresie formy testamentu przystają do współczesnych realiów, w tym rozwoju nowych technologii. Jedną z form uwspółcześnienia polskiego prawa spadkowego jest postulowany przez część doktryny postulat wprowadzenia do kodeksu cywilnego testamentu elektronicznego lub wideotestamentu.

Extraordinary Complaint in Civil Proceedings under Polish Law

The system of appeal measures in civil proceedings under the Polish law has been subject to profound evolution over the years. The Supreme Court Law of 8 December 2017 has introduced a new legal measure called the extraordinary complaint, which allows rebuttal of final judgments terminating respective proceedings. Extraordinary complaint examination has been entrusted to the newly established Extraordinary Control and Public Affairs Chamber of the Supreme Court. Literature has referred to this extraordinary measure of appeal as a total instrument with considerable material and temporal scope, allowing contestation of final judgements regardless of whether any legal measures had been applied in the course of respective proceedings and the type of measures used. Although parties to civil proceedings have gained another extraordinary measure of appeal, they have no real influence over its application. The expansion of the extraordinary appeal measures catalogue in Polish civil law proceedings has triggered multiple reservations as to the connection between parallel complaints. One should not assume a priori that the new extraordinary measure of appeal shall destabilise the legal system in Poland – albeit certain operational distortions seem realistic.

The Question of the Admissibility of Fideicommissary Substitution and the Stanisław Wróblewski’s Inheritance Law Draft

The article discusses the issue of fideicommissary substitution in the light of the Stanislaw Wroblewski’s inheritance law draft. The importance of the historical-comparative method for the evaluation of contemporary solutions in the Polish Civil Code of 1964 was described. The history of fideicommissary substitution and prohibition of this legal institution was presented, as well as the arguments used in the discussion on the admissibility of this institution. Moreover, particular legal provisions of the S. Wroblewski’ draft law concerning fideicommissary substitution were indicated.

Separate regulations on defects in a declaration of intent to enter into marriage, as distinct from general provisions of the Polish Civil Code

Separate regulations on defects in a declaration of intent to enter into marriage, as distinct from general provisions of the Polish Civil Code

Extraordinary remedies in Polish civil procedure

The article’s objective is to present the essence of the system of extraordinary remedies in the Polish civil procedure, as well as a characterization of the particular remedies comprising that system. Application of the dogmatic method has also verified the hypothesis according to which the Polish legislator, in giving those remedies (including extraordinary ones) a normative structure, has in view that their objective is to seek a change in or to set aside the contested ruling. The article accents particularly regulation of the extraordinary grievance, considering its status as novel legislation giving rise to numerous doubts and reservation, as the normative shape of that remedy constitutes a source of collision between two values – the stability if a judicial ruling, and its lawfulness. The emergence of this remedy has led to the conclusion that there is a need to review the existing position of the civil procedure doctrine concerning respect for the principle of exclusivity adopted in our system of remedies.