Victim-offender mediation as an alternative to the criminal justice system in Poland

Abstract

The aim of the paper is to present the views of the doctrine on the mediation and the benefits it brings to the victim, the perpetrator and society. The paper analyses the significance of implementation of the European Parliament and Council Directive 2012/29. This document, devoted to victims’ rights protection, has had significant impact on introducing restorative justice provisions into the Polish Code of Criminal Procedure of 1997. The paper discusses effectiveness of mediation in the Polish criminal procedure. It also examines statistical data collected from Polish courts regarding mediation. The conclusion is that mediation does not constitute a competitive institution towards the traditional judicial system which still remains the only „supplier“ of cases for mediation in criminal matters in Poland.