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Rule of Law as an Outcome of Crisis

Central-Eastern European Experiences 27 Years after the Breakthrough

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Abstract

After the collapse of communism countries of Central-Eastern Europe amended their constitutions and declared law-governed state as form of regimes. 27 years after collapse of communisms there is huge problem with rule of law. Formally is function but practice does not confirm it. The paper try to explain this phenomenon using theory of two transformations; visible and hidden one.

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Notes

  1. Zdzisław Krasnodębski, ‘Postkomunizm – życie po życiu’ [Post-communism – life after life], Rzeczpospolita, 8 May 2004.

  2. Rychard (2002), pp. 147–171.

  3. Łoś and Zybertowicz (2000).

  4. See for instance Hausner and Marody (2000), Mokrzycki et al. (2002), Jarosz (2004), Mariański (2002) and Krasnodębski (2003).

  5. See for instance Staniszkis and Rich (1999).

  6. Wincenty (2002) and Wedel (2001).

  7. See Zybertowicz (1993) and Zybertowicz (2002), pp. 173–216; Staniszkis (2001).

  8. See the examples regarding the privatisation law in Poland Kosikowski, n. 4, p. 41.

  9. See Zajadło (2001).

  10. Unfortunately we do not have data on how many judges or practitioners from the broad legal professions were collaborators with the secret services. It is largely due to the luck of the consequent lustration. Paradoxically, now in 2016 there is a return to the discourse on the necessity of a clean judiciary. In my opinion it is now too late.

  11. See the article ‘Ustawa za lapowke czyli przychodzi Rywin do Michnika’ [The statute for bribes or Rywin pays a visit to Miichnik], http://wyborcza.pl/1,75478,1237212.html?disableRedirects=true. Accessed 8 March 2016.

  12. For an historical overview of phenomena of clientelism see Mączak (1994).

  13. See the very insightful paper by A. Zybertowicz, Anty Rozwojowe Grupy Interesow. Zarys analizy [Anti-developmental interests group. Outline of the analysis], presented to the Polish Sociological Association Annual Conference, Poznan 2004 (on file).

  14. Sajó (2003), p. 171.

  15. On the rule of law in Central-Eastern Europe after 1989 see Czarnota et al. (2005) and Sadurski et al. (2005).

  16. Borucka-Arctowa 2003.

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Correspondence to Adam Czarnota.

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Czarnota, A. Rule of Law as an Outcome of Crisis. Hague J Rule Law 8, 311–321 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40803-016-0039-5

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