Poland
The justice system of Poland
A unitary republic under the 1997 Constitution, with a constitutional separation of powers and courts that constitute a separate, independent branch.
Facts on this page were checked against their sources on .
Poland is a unitary state (Article 3): it has three-tier territorial self-government (commune, county and voivodeship), but the Constitution assigns no justice competence to it. The administration of justice is a State function, implemented by the Supreme Court, the common courts, the administrative courts and the military courts (Article 175(1)). Judges are "independent and subject only to the Constitution and statutes" (Article 178) and are appointed for an indefinite period by the President on the motion of the National Council of the Judiciary (Article 179).
The same idea, explained generally
- What is justice?
Justice is the principle that people should be treated according to rules that apply equally to everyone, decided by bodies that are authorised, constrained, and answerable. This guide explains what that means institutionally.
- What is the rule of law?
The rule of law is the principle that everyone, including the government, is subject to law that is public, applied equally, and interpreted by independent courts. This guide explains what it requires and what it does not.
- What do courts do?
Courts resolve disputes, test the state’s case against individuals, interpret law, and review public decisions. This guide explains those functions and why judicial independence is structural.
Sources
Sources
Constitution of the Republic of Poland of 2 April 1997 — official English translation
Trybunał Konstytucyjny (Constitutional Tribunal of Poland) · Legislation · 1997-04-02 · link verified 2026-07-26
The Constitutional Tribunal's English text of the 1997 Constitution, read directly. Supports Art. 3 ("The Republic of Poland shall be a unitary State"); Art. 10 (separation of powers); Art. 173 (courts and tribunals a separate power); Art. 175(1) (the administration of justice is implemented by the Supreme Court, the common courts, the administrative courts and the military courts); Art. 178–179 (judicial independence; appointment by the President on the motion of the National Council of the Judiciary); Art. 183 (the Supreme Court and its First President); Art. 184 (the administrative courts and their apex — rendered "Chief Administrative Court" in this official translation); Art. 186–187 (the National Council of the Judiciary — its role safeguarding independence, its composition, and the delegation of the members' selection method to statute); Art. 188–190 (the Constitutional Tribunal); and Art. 208–210 (the Commissioner for Citizens' Rights). Naming caveat: this official translation renders the Naczelny Sąd Administracyjny as "Chief Administrative Court"; the institution's own conventional English name "Supreme Administrative Court" was not independently verified.