Basic principles of criminal procedure in the Second Polish Republic

Abstract

After Poland gained independence, it was necessary to unify many areas of law. There were three legislations in force in the area of criminal procedure at that time, i.e. the Russian Criminal Procedure Act of 1864, the Austrian Criminal Procedure Code of 1873, and the German Criminal Procedure Code of 1874. The Codification Commission, which was established in 1919, was responsible for the creation of the Polish codification. Its work resulted in the Code of Criminal Procedure issued in the form of a regulation, which came into force on 1 July 1929. The Code represented a mixed form of trial, with liberal tendencies manifesting themselves in it. It was based on the principles set out not only in the general provisions but also in the further parts. The principles of the criminal proceedings did not remain in a hierarchical relationship with each other. Conciseness, synthesis and a high level of legislative technique are the characteristic features of this very innovative codification.