Informatization of Civil Proceedings in Poland. Conclusions de lege lata

The informatization of civil proceedings is regulated in Poland by the use of several instruments pertaining to various aspects of civil procedure. The author presents the most relevant instruments and their major provisions in the context of what may be called ‘normal’ circumstances and also as they were amended to suit the needs of the judiciary during the COVID-19 pandemic. Submission of pleadings via the dedicated ICT (information and communication technology) system of the courts is presented, as is the electronic delivery service meant to facilitate the service of procedure and the communication of procedural documents in Poland (especially in the future). The rules applicable to open hearings and recording of hearings, as well as their transmission, are presented. The relatively novel rules on the taking of electronic evidence and on rendering an ‘e-judgment’ are also referred to.