Guide to Polish Legal Citation

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Judicial Acts (Cases)

Type of decision

Poland is a civil law country. In principle, court decisions have formal precedential authority only with regard to lower courts in the same proceeding. The SOKiK, described below, is the only exception.

Courts

Ordinary Jurisdiction:

Administrative Jurisdiction:

Special Jurisdiction:

Docket number (bolded below)

Repertorium (bolded below)

Official Reporters (bolded below)

Constitution

Konstytucja Rzeczypospolitej Polskiej z dnia 2 kwietnia 1997 r.

Citation format: < title of the Constitution > [Constitution] < article >, < section >, < subsection > (Poland)

e.g., Konstytucja Rzeczypospolitej Polskiej z dnia 2 kwietnia 1997 r. [Constitution] art. 144, sec. 3, subsec. 1 (Poland)
Short form, suggested after first full citation: Konstytucja RP [Constitution] art. 144, sec. 3, subsec. 1 (Poland)

Codes

Citation format: < title of code > [< Code title in English >] < date of enactment >, < article >, < section >, < subsection > (Poland)

e.g., Kodeks cywilny [Civil Code] Apr. 23, 1964, art. 65, sec. 2, subsec. 3 (Poland)

Short form, suggested after first full citation: [Civil Code] k.c., art. 65, sec. 2, subsec. 3 (Poland)

Statutes and Regulations

Citation format for Polish statutes, regulations, or international treaties: < full title of the statute, regulation, or treaty > [ < translated title in English > ] ( < abbreviation of official journal > < year > , < volume number > , < item number > )

For abbreviation of official journal see Official Journal section below.

e.g., Ustawa z dnia 1 wrzesnia 2005 r. -- Prawo o szkolnictwie wyższym [Higher Education Act of Sept. 1, 2005] (Dz.U. 2005, vol. 164, item 1365)
e.g., RozporzÄ…dzenie Ministra Kultury z dnia 4 sierpnia 2005 w sprawie nadawania odznaki honorowej "ZasÅ‚użony dla Kultury Polskiej" [Regulation of Minister of Culture concerning awarding the medal of “With Merit to the Polish Culture” (Dz.U. 2005 Nr 159 Poz. 1334)]

Short form, suggested after first full citation: Ustawa – Prawo o szkolnictwie Wyższym [Higher Education Act]

Statutes and regulations can be subject to amendments. To indicate that the original text was amended, add the phrase “with amendments” (bolded below).

e.g., Ustawa z dnia 18 lipca 2001 r. prawo wodne [Water Act] (Dz. U. 2001, vol. 115, item 1229, with amendments)

When a consolidated text (“tekst jednolity”) is published to incorporate multiple amendments, cite the act and the Official Journal of consolidation.

e.g., Ustawa z dnia 18 lipca 2001 r. Prawo wodne [Water Act], (consolidated text Dz. U. 2005, vol. 239, item 2019)

Cite local acts as follows:

Citation format: < title > [ < translated title in English > ] < number of the compilation in roman numerals > < item number >, < year >

e.g., UchwaÅ‚a Rady Miasta Krakowa w sprawie budżetu Miasta Krakowa na rok 2007 [Resolution on the budget of the city of Kraków for 2007] vol. V item 61, 2007
e.g., UchwaÅ‚a Sejmiku Województwa MaÅ‚opolskiego w sprawie budżetu Województwa MaÅ‚opolskiego na rok 2008 [Resolution on the budget of Malopolskie Voivodeship for the year 2008] vol. XIV item 173, 2007

Official Journals

Dziennik Ustaw Rzeczypospolitej Polskiej, also Dziennik Ustaw (English: Journal of Laws of the Republic of Poland, abbreviated Dz.U.) is the official source for some types of enacted Polish laws. The Journal includes such documents as: The Constitution, statutes, Presidential regulations, regulations of the Council of Ministers, regulations of or the Prime Minister, consolidated acts, acts ratifying international treaties, judgments of the Constitutional Tribunal.

Citation format: See the format for Polish statutes, regulations, or international treaties above.

Dziennik Urzędowy Rzeczypospolitej Polskiej "Monitor Polski" (English: Official Gazette of the Republic of Poland, abbreviated M.P.). This publication compiles internal regulations and directives that are binding on governmental entities but not on individual persons.

Citation format: < full title of act >[< translated title in English >] (M.P. < volume number > < item number > < year > ).

e.g., Postanowienie Prezydenta Rzeczypospolitej Polskiej z dnia 14 września 2007 r. o nadaniu odznaczeń [Ordinance of the President of Republic of Poland concerning awards] (M.P. vol. 2 item 17, 2008).

Periodicals

Citation format: < Name of author >,< title > [< optionally with a translation >],< abbreviation of periodical name >, < year >,< volume No >,< page(s) cited >.

e.g., Z. OpaÅ‚ko, WyÅ‚Ä…czenie prawa poboru w Å›wietle przepisów Kodeksu Handlowego [Exclusion of Preemptive Right under the Provisions of Business Organizations Code], P. Sp., No. 2, 1999, at 33.

When citing to a periodical in general the Polish custom is to cite only to the first page. However, when citing to a particular idea within a periodical, the custom is to cite to the specific page upon which the idea occurs.

List of most commonly cited Polish periodicals:

Treatises

Citation format: < Name of author >,< Title >[< optional translation into English >],< place of publication >< year >,< page (if referring to a specific page) >.

e.g. J. Gołaczyński, Przewłaszczenie na zabezpieczenie [Transfer of Ownership as a Security for a Debt], Warszawa 2004, at 69.

Citation format for collective works: < Name of author >,< title of the article/ chapter >[< optional translation into English >]< in >< name of the main editor >,< title of the collective work >[< translation of the collective work if necessary >], < volume number (if applicable) >,< place of publication > < year of publication >,< page number (if referring to a specific page) >.

e.g. E. Smoktunowicz, Stosunek administracyjnoprawny obywatela, in T. Rabska, System prawa administracyjnego, vol. 4, Wroclaw 1999, at 33.

Commentaries

Citation format: < Name of author >< in >< names of the main author(s) >,< title of the commentary >,[< optional translation of the commentary title >],< volume number (if applicable) >,< place of publication >< year of publication >,< if referring to a specific page >.

S. SoÅ‚tysiÅ„ski, in S. SoÅ‚tysiÅ„ski, A. Szajkowski, A. SzumaÅ„ski, J. Szwaja, Kodeks spóÅ‚ek handlowych. Komentarz [Business Organizations Code. Commentary], vol. 1, Warszawa 2001, at 33.

alternative form: S. SoÅ‚tysiÅ„ski, in S. SoÅ‚tysiÅ„ski, et al., Kodeks spóÅ‚ek handlowych. Komentarz [Code of commercial companies. Commentary], vol. 1, Warszawa 2001, at 33

Electronic Databases

Commercial Databases