Constitutional law 9.1.P-PK
Part I - Semester 2
1. Introduction to lectures and exercises
• Problems of lectures and exercises
• Discussion of sources and literature on the subject
• The concept of "constitutional law"
• Subject and scope of constitutional law
• Constitutional law as "jurisprudence"
1. The system of sources of law in the Polish Constitution
• The genesis of Chapter III of the Polish Constitution
• The concept of sources of law and the system of sources of law
• Dualism and dichotomy of the system of sources of law
• Hierarchical structure of the legal system
2. The system of sources of law in the Polish Constitution
• Act - the act on the publication of normative acts, Principles of legislative technique
• International agreement as a source of law: concept, types, conclusion, ratification, place in the hierarchy of sources of law - the Act on international agreements
• Polish law and EU law
2. Constitution
• Origin of the written constitution
• The Constitution as the highest law of the Republic of Poland
• The Constitution as an act whose provisions are directly applicable
• The constitution as a basic law
3. The system of sources of law in the Polish Constitution
• Regulations
• Local law acts
• Acts of internal law
3. Primary principles (part 1)
• The concept, evolution and meaning of basic political principles
• The nature and significance of Chapter I of the Polish Constitution
• The principle of the common good
• The principle of the republican form of the state
4. The principle of a democratic state ruled by law
• Genesis and concept
• Standards of democratic rule of law
• Systemic significance
• Principles arising from the principle of a democratic state ruled by law: protection of acquired rights, protection of ongoing interests, citizens' trust in the state and its law, correct legislation, lex retro non agit, vacatio legis - analysis based on the jurisprudence of the Constitutional Tribunal
4. Primary principles (continued)
• Sovereignty and independence of the state
• Civil society
• Social market economy
5. Forms of direct democracy
• The principle of nation sovereignty
• Forms of direct democracy: people's assemblies, people's legislative initiative, people's veto, social consultations, referendum
• Types of nationwide referendum - analysis based on the Polish Constitution and the National Referendum Act
• Legislative folk initiative - an act
5. Freedoms and rights of man and citizen (part 1)
• Origin and development of human and citizen freedoms and rights - introductory remarks
• International guarantees and the Polish Constitution
• Systematics of Chapter II of the Polish Constitution
• Basic concepts regarding the status of the individual
6. Analysis of selected freedoms and personal rights on the basis of constitutional and statutory provisions and case law of the Constitutional Tribunal
• Right to life
• Right to court
• The right to privacy
• Right to immunity
6. General / guiding principles of unit status
• dignity
• Freedom
• Equality
7. Analysis of selected political and social freedoms and rights on the basis of constitutional and statutory provisions and case law of the Constitutional Tribunal
• Freedom of assembly
• Freedom of association
• Employee rights
• The right to health care
7. Freedoms and rights of man and citizen
• The subject of freedom and rights
• Subject of freedom and rights
• Limits of freedom and rights
• Measures to protect freedom and rights
8. Pass
• Completion of the first part of the exercise
8. Duties of man and citizen
• The concept and legal nature of the obligation
• Correlation law - an obligation
• Faithfulness of the Commonwealth
• Compliance with law
• Carrying burdens and public benefits
• Defend the homeland
• Care for the environment
Part II - Semester 3
1. Parliament
• Parliament in the system of state organs
• Parliament as a legislative body
• The parliamentary and cabinet system in Poland
• Sejm, Senate and National Assembly
• The importance of a parliamentary majority; role and rights of the opposition
1. The right to vote
• The concept of election, electoral law, electoral system, electoral code
• Basic principles of electoral law (so-called adjectives) and their meaning
• Active and passive voting rights
• Election bodies
• Election calendar
2. Parliament's functions
• constitutional function
• legislative function - legislative process
• Control function (Seym)
• Creative function
2. Legal status of a deputy and senator
• Parliamentary mandate
• Rights and obligations of a deputy and senator
• Material and formal immunity
• Invincibility
• incompatibility
• Professional nature of the function, anti-corruption laws
• Committee on parliamentary ethics
3. President of the Republic of Poland
• The president as head of state and body of executive power
• Presidential competences and forms of their performance
• The President and the Council of Ministers
• Cabinet Council
• National Security Council
3. President of the Republic of Poland
• Election of the President
• Official acts of the President - prerogatives, countersignature
• President's responsibility: constitutional, doctrinal and practical problems
• Constitutional and legal responsibility
4. Council of Ministers
• Glossary: Council of Ministers, Government, Cabinet, Government administration
• The Council of Ministers as a body of executive power
• Competences of the Council of Ministers and forms of their implementation
• Position of the Prime Minister
• Minister - legal nature
4. Council of Ministers
• Appointment and dismissal of the Council of Ministers and individual ministers
• Government administration departments
• Parliamentary responsibility - a vote of confidence, a vote of no confidence
• Constitutional responsibility
5. Judicial authority
• Constitutional principles regarding the judiciary
• The status of the individual in the state and the judiciary
• Judicial independence and status of judges
• National Council of the Judiciary
5. Judicial authority
• The essence and structure of justice in Poland
• Supreme Court
• Common courts
• Administrative courts
• Military courts
6. Constitutional Tribunal
• Origin and evolution of constitutional justice
• Competences of the Constitutional Tribunal
6. Proceedings before the Constitutional Tribunal
• Proceedings before the Constitutional Tribunal
7. Extraordinary states
• General characteristics of emergency states
• Martial law
• State of emergency
• State of natural disaster
• State of war
• Extraordinary states and unit status
7. Passing exercises
(in Polish) Dyscyplina
Supplementary literature
Type of course
Mode
Term 2022/23-L: Online | General: (in Polish) Mieszany: realizowany zdalnie i w sali |
Course coordinators
Learning outcomes
Knowledge:
The student knows the position of the Polish State in internal and external relations; knows that the Republic of Poland is one of many countries - characteristic and unique due to its constitutional regulations, which constitute the material scope of constitutional law;
The student knows what basic constitutional principles are the foundation of the existence and operation of the Republic of Poland;
The student knows the status of political parties in Poland and knows the basics of electoral law;
The student knows the sources of universally binding law and is able to distinguish them from internally applicable law, knows the characteristics of individual types of legal acts and the basic principles of their creation (with particular emphasis on the features and procedure for amending the Constitution);
The student knows the norms regarding the system of state organs, knows how to appoint piasts of these organs, their tasks and competences, demonstrates knowledge of the relationship between the indicated organs of the authorities of the Republic of Poland.
Skills:
Student is able to give definitions, explain terms, discuss issues raised in class;
The student is able to present the essence of certain phenomena, explain the advisability of introducing specific solutions (e.g.: is able to recognize the types of political systems and indicate the characteristics determining the belonging of a given country to a particular type, is able to give examples of modifications of a given system and indicate its individual character);
The student knows how to use his knowledge to analyze phenomena occurring in the state, in society, in politics;
The student is able to critically assess the existing social and political phenomena and work out their own position in relation to them;
The student is able to use laws effectively dealing with constitutional law; can relate the right recipe to the situation;
The student is characterized by independent, critical, analytical and logical thinking in the field of the subject.
Social competence:
The student is aware of constant changes in the scope of legal norms, which causes the need for continuous training in this area, thus supplementing his knowledge resources;
The student is aware of the axiology that is the basis of the legal system, thanks to which he shapes the solutions to specific problems in his professional career in an appropriate way.
Assessment criteria
Didactic methods
• lecture - problem lecture / seminar lecture / lecture with multimedia presentation
• auditorium exercises - analysis of texts with discussion / group work / analysis and solution of case studies / discussion / problem solving / analysis of the jurisprudence of the Constitutional Tribunal and the European Court of Human Rights
Written exam in three parts:
- single choice test
- multiple choice test
- casus
Practical placement
For students interested in the practical side of knowledge, there is the possibility of study visits to constitutional organs of the state (Sejm, Senate, ministries, Supreme Court, Constitutional Tribunal, etc.).
In addition, students can take apprenticeships in selected ministries and state institutions.
Bibliography
CHOICE OF SOURCES
• Konstytucja RP z 2 kwietnia 1997 r., Dz. U. nr 78, poz. 483.
• Ustawa z dnia 5 stycznia 2011 r. Kodeks wyborczy, Dz. U. nr 21, poz. 112, t.j. Dz. U. z 2017 r. poz. 15.
• Ustawa z dnia 9 maja 1996 r. o wykonywaniu mandatu posła i senatora, Dz. U. nr 73 poz. 350, t.j. Dz. U. z 2016 r. poz. 1510.
• Ustawa z dnia 24 czerwca 1999 r. o wykonywaniu inicjatywy ustawodawczej przez obywateli, Dz. U. nr 62 poz. 688.
• Ustawa z dnia 14 marca 2003 r. o referendum ogólnokrajowym, Dz. U. nr 99 poz. 487, t.j. z 2015 r. poz. 318.
• Uchwała Sejmu Rzeczypospolitej Polskiej z dnia 30 lipca 1992 r. Regulamin Sejmu Rzeczypospolitej Polskiej,
• Uchwała Senatu Rzeczypospolitej Polskiej z dnia 23 listopada 1990 r., M.P. z 2016 r. poz. 824.
• Ustawa z dnia 8 sierpnia 1996 r. o organizacji i trybie pracy Rady Ministrów oraz o zakresie działania ministrów Dz. U. z 1999 r. nr 82 poz. 929.
• Ustawa z dnia 4 września 1997 r. o działach administracji rządowej, Dz. U. z 1999 r. nr 82 poz. 920, t.j. Dz. U. z 2017 r., poz. 888.
• Uchwała nr 190 Rady Ministrów z dnia 29 października 2013 r. – Regulamin pracy Rady Ministrów M.P. z 2016 r. poz. 1006.
• Ustawa z dnia 27 lipca 2001 r. Prawo o ustroju sądów powszechnych, Dz. U. nr 98 poz. 1070, t.j. Dz. U. z 2016 r. poz. 2062.
• Ustawa z dnia 25 lipca 2002 r. Prawo o ustroju sądów administracyjnych, Dz. U. nr 153, poz. 1269, t.j. Dz. U. z 2016 r. poz. 1066.
• Ustawa z dnia 20 listopada 2002 r. o Sądzie Najwyższym, Dz. U. nr 240 poz. 2052, t.j. Dz. U. z 2016 r. poz. 1254.
• Ustawa z dnia 30 listopada 2016 r. o organizacji i trybie postępowania przed Trybunałem Konstytucyjnym, Dz. U. z 2016 r. poz. 2072.
• Ustawa z dnia 30 listopada 2016 r. o statusie sędziów Trybunału Konstytucyjnego, Dz. U. z 2016 r. poz. 2073.
• Ustawa z dnia 26 marca 1982 r. o Trybunale Stanu, Dz. U. Nr 11, poz. 84, t.j. Dz. U. z 2016 r. poz. 2050.
CHOICE OF BASIC LITERATURE
(LATEST EDITION)
• Banaszak Bogusław, Porównawcze prawo konstytucyjne współczesnych państw demokratycznych, Warszawa.
• Banaszak Bogusław, Prawo konstytucyjne, Warszawa
• Biłgorajski Artur, Prawo konstytucyjne i ustrój organów ochrony prawnej dla praktyków. Objaśnienia, wzory pism, pytania i kazusy, Warszawa.
• Dudek D., Husak Z.S., Kowalski G., Lis W., Konstytucyjny system organów państwa, Warszawa.
• Garlicki Leszek, Polskie prawo konstytucyjne. Zarys wykładu, Warszawa.
• Granat Mirosław, Prawo konstytucyjne. Pytania i odpowiedzi, Warszawa.
• Konstytucyjny system organów państwowych, red. Bogumił Szmulik, M. Paździor, Warszawa.
• Konstytucyjny system organów państwowych, red. Ewa Gdulewicz, Lublin.
• Konstytucyjny system władz publicznych, red. Piotr Chmielnicki, Warszawa.
• Kuciński Jerzy, Ustrój konstytucyjny Rzeczypospolitej Polskiej. Podręcznik akademicki, Warszawa.
• Leksykon prawa konstytucyjnego. 100 podstawowych pojęć, red. Andrzej Szmyt, Warszawa.
• Organy państwowe w ustroju konstytucyjnym RP, red. Halina Zięba-Załucka, Warszawa.
• Polskie prawo konstytucyjne na tle porównawczym, red. Ryszard M. Małajny, Warszawa.
• Polskie prawo konstytucyjne, red. Dariusz Górecki, Warszawa
• Prawo konstytucyjne RP (instytucje wybrane), red. Jerzy Buczkowski. Przemyśl-Rzeszów.
• Prawo konstytucyjne Rzeczypospolitej Polskiej, red. Paweł Sarnecki, Warszawa.
• Prawo konstytucyjne, red. Stanisław Bożyk, Białystok.
• Prawo konstytucyjne, red. Zbigniew Witkowski, Toruń.
• Rost Antoni, Instytucje polskiego prawa konstytucyjnego, Poznań.
• Skrzydło Wiesław, Ustrój polityczny RP w świetle Konstytucji z 1997 r., Warszawa.
• Winczorek Piotr, Konstytucyjny system organów państwowych, Warszawa.
Additional information
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