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Polish Civil Proceedings: Expanding the Floor for Preparatory Stage

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Current Trends in Preparatory Proceedings

Abstract

Polish civil procedural law has become highly regulated over the last half-century since the adoption of the 1964 Civil Procedure Code, which has been amended almost two hundred times, so far (piecemeal amendments). In this chapter, readers will find information about the preparatory proceedings (preparatory stage of proceedings) in the Polish civil justice system. The system of Polish procedural law and its history are briefly reviewed before the focus of the chapter is turned to the preparatory proceedings. Separate subchapters present the review of provisions on the activities preceding the hearing (trial), structural issues and deficiencies endorsed in practice. A considerable part of this chapter is intended to point out peculiarities that characterise the activities of court “actors” during this stage, including conciliatory activities. Special emphasis is given to the amendments to the Polish civil procedural law made during last few years that influenced (or rather were supposed to influence) the preparatory proceedings. This chapter also analyses whether the judiciary utilises the powers given to them by the legislation.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    Consolidated text Official Journal of 2014, item 101, as amended. Even unofficial English translations of the whole text are not available.

  2. 2.

    Rylski and Weitz (2014), pp. 78 ff.

  3. 3.

    Ereciński (2007), p. 111.

  4. 4.

    Siedlecki (1977), pp. 51–83.

  5. 5.

    Lapierre (2014), pp. 124–127.

  6. 6.

    Łazarska (2012), p. 61; Karolczyk (2013), p. 156.

  7. 7.

    Firstly, in labour and social insurance cases there is a stage of proceedings that consists of the initial examination of the case (Article 467 CPC). It includes: (1) the examination whether the statement of claim initiating the proceedings fulfils the legal requirements that allow proceeding with it, (2) the conduct of activities that allow resolution of the dispute at the first sitting. Secondly, in group proceedings, after group statement of claim arrives at the court and is examined in formal terms, there is a stage where the court decides on admissibility of the group proceedings.

  8. 8.

    Issues of these capacities on the side of the defendant are taken into account by the court at any possible stage of proceedings—see Article 202 sentence 3 CPC.

  9. 9.

    Karolczyk (2013), p. 158.

  10. 10.

    There is no discretionary power of the judge here; judgment of the Court of Appeal in Warsaw of 29 September 2014, Case I ACa 370/14.

  11. 11.

    Draniewicz (2012), p. 893.

  12. 12.

    Decision of the Supreme Court of 14 January 2015, Case III CSK 317/14.

  13. 13.

    Judgment of the Court of Appeal in Szczecin of 11 June 2014, Case I ACa 269/14.

  14. 14.

    Cieślak (2007), pp. 171–173; Flaga-Wieruszyńska (2007), pp. 200 ff. On 3 May 2012, provisions on commercial proceedings were abolished.

  15. 15.

    Case II UKN 269/00.

  16. 16.

    Kosiński (2012), p. 29.

  17. 17.

    However, in small claims proceedings the judgment of the court of second instance may be issued in chamber without trial unless the party requested the hearing in the appeal or the statement of defence (Article 50510 para 2 CPC).

  18. 18.

    This rule will be applied also in unilateral (non-contentious) proceedings where the applicant withdraws the application before the information on the date of the sitting is sent to her or him by the court.

  19. 19.

    Official Journal of 2015, item 925.

  20. 20.

    Strus-Wołos (2013), p. 192.

  21. 21.

    Karolczyk (2013), p. 162.

  22. 22.

    By contrast, electronic proceedings regarding order for payment and electronic registries kept by court (e.g. the registry of entrepreneurs or the land registry) proved successful.

  23. 23.

    In labour and social insurance cases as well as, mutatis mutandis, in small claims proceedings the court may convene the parties, witnesses, expert witnesses and other persons in a manner considered the most purposeful, even when it disregards the general rules in this respect, if only the court considers this necessary to speed up the resolution of the dispute. It relates also to the service and orders aimed at the preparation of the hearing, in particular, requests for delivery of personal files and other documents necessary to the resolution of the dispute. Convening and service performed by other means than in writing have effects provided for by general rules if there is no doubt that the addressee has been reached. However, it is not possible to hear the parties, witnesses and/or expert witnesses by telephone. This can be done only in an oral hearing.

  24. 24.

    Journal of Laws No. 233, item 1381.

  25. 25.

    Case III CSK 300/12.

  26. 26.

    Sorysz (2012), p. 437. According to Article 468 para 1 CPC, as a rule, if the results of the initial examination of the case support this, the court will undertake explanatory activities, unless they do not accelerate proceedings or are obviously aimless for other reasons.

  27. 27.

    Case III CSK 317/14.

  28. 28.

    Judgment of the Court of Appeal in Szczecin of 25 June 2014, Case I ACa 352/14.

  29. 29.

    Szanciło (2012), p. 125; Piszcz (2012), pp. 71–72.

  30. 30.

    Arkuszewska and Kościółek (2012), p. 13.

  31. 31.

    Cieślak (2012), p. 26.

  32. 32.

    Karolczyk (2012), p. 516.

  33. 33.

    Strus-Wołos (2013), p. 194; Mucha (2012), p. 3D.

  34. 34.

    Piszcz (2012), pp. 72–73; Mucha (2012), p. 6D.

  35. 35.

    Except for disclosure regime introduced into the industrial property law due to implementation of the 2004/48/EC Directive; Rejdak (2012), pp. 96 ff.

  36. 36.

    Rylski (2010), p. 314.

  37. 37.

    Fik and Włosek (2012), p. 42.

  38. 38.

    Gapska (2013), p. 38.

  39. 39.

    Karolczyk (2013), p. 158.

  40. 40.

    Ibid.

  41. 41.

    Paragraph 66(1). In Polish at: http://legislacja.rcl.gov.pl/projekt/12271203/katalog/12283173#12283173 (accessed on 19 August 2015).

  42. 42.

    Ereciński (2007), pp. 116–118.

  43. 43.

    Karolczyk (2013), p. 162.

  44. 44.

    More at: http://isws.ms.gov.pl/pl/baza-statystyczna/opracowania-wieloletnie/ (accessed on 27 August 2015).

  45. 45.

    Skrodzka (2014), p. 172.

  46. 46.

    However, Article 7 of the Act of 17 December 2009 on Pursuit of Claims in Group Proceedings (Official Journal 2010, No. 7, item 44) states that at each stage of the group proceedings the court may refer the parties to mediation.

  47. 47.

    For the purposes of statistics, civil cases do not include family cases, labour cases and commercial cases (cases between undertakings).

  48. 48.

    Learn more at: http://isws.ms.gov.pl/pl/baza-statystyczna/opracowania-wieloletnie/ (accessed on 27 August 2015).

  49. 49.

    Ereciński (2013), p. 129.

  50. 50.

    Official Journal L of 18.06.2013, 165/63.

  51. 51.

    In Polish at: http://www.sejm.gov.pl/sejm7.nsf/PrzebiegProc.xsp?nr=3432 (accessed on 27 August 2015).

  52. 52.

    Official Journal of 2014, item 1025, as amended.

  53. 53.

    Bieliński (2014), p. 42.

  54. 54.

    Dubois et al. (2013), p. 417.

  55. 55.

    Gapska (2013) p. 38.

  56. 56.

    Pecyna (2012), pp. 812–813; Szczurowski (2013), pp. 875–876; Kwaśnicki and Bokina (2012), pp. 614–616; Piebiak (2012), p. 619.

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  1. Faculty of Law, University of Białystok, Białystok, Poland

    Anna Piszcz

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  1. School of Law,Psychology and Social Work, University of Örebro, Örebro, Sweden

    Laura Ervo

  2. Faculty of Law, University of Tromsø, Tromsø, Norway

    Anna Nylund

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Piszcz, A. (2016). Polish Civil Proceedings: Expanding the Floor for Preparatory Stage. In: Ervo, L., Nylund, A. (eds) Current Trends in Preparatory Proceedings . Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-29325-7_7

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