Criminal Law Instruments to Counter Corporate Crimes in Poland

Authors: Dorota Habrat

Abstract:

The aim of study was to analyze the functioning the new model of criminal corporate responsibility in Poland. The need to introduce into the Polish legal system liability of corporate (collective entities) has resulted, among others, from the Polish Republic's international commitments, in particular related to membership in the European Union. The study showed that responsibility of collective entities under the Act has a criminal nature. The main question concerns the ability of the collective entity to be brought to guilt under criminal law sense. Polish criminal law knows only the responsibility of individual persons. So far, guilt as a personal feature of action, based on the ability of the offender to feel in his psyche, could be considered only in relation to the individual person, while the said Act destroyed this conviction. Guilt of collective entity must be proven under at least one of the three possible forms: the guilt in the selection or supervision and so called organizational guilt. In addition, research in article has resolved the issue how the principle of proportionality in relation to criminal measures in response of collective entities should be considered. It should be remembered that the legal subjectivity of collective entities, including their rights and freedoms, is an emanation of the rights and freedoms of individual persons which create collective entities and through these entities implement their rights and freedoms. The whole study was proved that the adopted Act largely reflects the international legal regulations but also contains the unknown and original legislative solutions.

Keywords: Criminal corporate responsibility, Polish criminal law.

Digital Object Identifier (DOI): doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.1338420

References:

[1] J. Makarewicz, “Prawo karne. Wykład porównawczy z uwzględnieniem prawa obowiązującego w Rzeczypospolitej Polskiej (Criminal law. Comparative studies taking into account the legislation in force in the Republic of Poland)”, Lviv-Warsaw, 1924, pp. 111.
[2] O. Górniok, “Przestępczość przedsiębiorstw i karanie jej sprawców (Crime and punishment of its perpetrators)”, Warsaw 1995, pp. 63.
[3] P. Witkowski, “Pojęcie i istota odpowiedzialności karnej – problematyka odpowiedzialności karnej podmiotów zbiorowych w dobie reformy prawa karnego (The concept and the essence of criminal liability-the issue of criminal liability of collective entities in the era of reform of criminal law)”, (w:) Polska lat dziewięćdziesiątych. Przemiany państwa i prawa ((in:) Poland of the 1990s. Transformation of state and law), Lublin 1997, vol. 3, pp. 430.
[4] J. Garus-Ryba, “Osoba prawna jako podmiot przestępstwa – modele odpowiedzialności karnej podmiotów zbiorowych (A legal person as a crime-model of collective criminal liability)” Prokuratura i Prawo, 2003, no 2, pp. 47-48.
[5] G. Rejman, “Odpowiedzialność karna osób prawnych (Criminal liability of legal persons)”, Edukacja Prawnicza, 1995, no 2, pp. 29.
[6] A. Brands, “Problem odpowiedzialności karnej przedsiębiorstw (The Problem of criminal liability of corporations)”, Prokuratura i Prawo, 1995, no. 5, pp. 28.
[7] ALCE (Act of 28 October 2002 on Liability of Collective Entities for acts prohibited under penalty) Dz.U.(Journal of Laws) from 2012 r., item 768 with further changes, single text. 3
[8] W.Wróbel, A. Zoll, ”Polskie prawo karne. Część ogólna (Polish criminal law, General part)”, Cracow 2010, pp.177.
[9] B. Nita, ”Model odpowiedzialności podmiotów zbiorowych za czyny zabronione pod groźbą kary (A model of collective responsibility for acts prohibited under penalty)”, Państwo i Prawo, 2003, no 6, pp. 17.
[10] Judgment of Constitutional Tribunal from 3rd November 2004, files no K 18/03.
[11] Judgment of Constitutional Tribunal from 8th July 2003, files no P 10/02, OTK ZU no 6/A/2003, pos. 62.
[12] D. Habrat, ”Ustawa i odpowiedzialności podmiotów zbiorowych za czyny zabronione pod groźbą kary. Komentarz (Act and liability of collective entities for acts prohibited under penalty. Commentary)”, Warsaw 2014, pp. 36-37.
[13] M Słupska., T Sroka, Commentary to the judgment of 3th November 2004, K 18/03, Państwo i Prawo, 2005, with 8, pp. 123-124.
[14] T Razowski, “Odpowiedzialność podmiotów zbiorowych po nowelizacji. (Liability of collective entities after revision)”, Prokuratura i Prawo (2006), no. 9, pp. 132-133.
[15] D. Habrat, ”Materialnoprawne aspekty odpowiedzialności podmiotów zbiorowych za czyny zabronione pod groźba kary (Substantive law aspects of liability of collective entities for acts prohibited under the threat of penalty)”, Torun 2008, pp. 99-101.
[16] B. Namysłowska-Gabrysiak, Ustawa o odpowiedzialności podmiotów zbiorowych za czyny zabronione pod groźbą kary. Komentarz (The act on liability of collective entities for acts prohibited under penalty. Commentary) Cracov 2004, pp. 131-132.
[17] Wala K., Commentary the Supreme Court judgment of 6th April 2011 (V KK 15/11), Przegląd Sądowy, 2012, no. 9, pp. 147.
[18] K 18/03, OTK-A, No 10, item 103.
[19] Dz. U. from 2005, No 180, item 1492.
[20] Dz. U. from 2011, No 191, item 1135.
[21] Elaborated of the basis on the Polish Ministry of Justice data (http://isws.ms.gov.pl/pl/baza-statystyczna/)