Public Administration as a Structure Vulnerable to Corruption

Public Administration as a Structure Vulnerable to Corruption

Author(s): Mariusz Wojtalewicz / Language(s): English / Issue: 1/2022

Keywords: corruption; administration; structure; counteraction; threats

The article discusses the factors affecting the threat of corruption in public administration in terms of the development and evolution of its structure during the political changes in Poland. The purpose of the publication is to draw attention to the activities aimed at safeguarding the mechanisms of administrative decision-making process from corrupt proposals targeting officials, and to present the possible elements essential for carrying out effective measures to prevent such behavior. Attention is also given to the necessity of taking into account the risks of corruption in setting priorities for the operation of public administration bodies.

Implementation of Containment and Closure Measures During COVID-19 Pandemic and Their Effect on Tourism in Croatia

Implementation of Containment and Closure Measures During COVID-19 Pandemic and Their Effect on Tourism in Croatia

Author(s): Hrvoje Mataković / Language(s): English / Issue: 1/2022

Keywords: COVID-19 pandemic; crisis management; crisis response measures; tourism

The COVID-19 pandemic that broke out in early 2020 has a strong impact on human health but also on many other segments of life such as the economy. To prevent the spread of the infection, governments are implementing containment and closure measures to limit contact between people and their mobility. One of the direct consequences of limited mobility is a decrease in tourism demand. In this paper are presented the containment and closure measures implemented by the Croatian government to restraint the COVID-19 pandemic, and it is also analysed the impact of these measures on tourism. The government in Croatia had a complex task: with containment and closure measures, they tried to prevent the spread of the infection, and on the other hand, they wanted to attract foreign tourists, who make the majority of overnight stays in Croatia. During the summer tourism season in 2020, containment and closure measures were implemented, and in the summer of 2021, despite a larger number of infected and dead, these measures were not intensified, since the attempts to stop the pandemic, in addition to the containment and closure measures, also involved vaccination. Tourism in Croatia during the COVID-19 pandemic achieved satisfactory results, similar to those from 2019: this is partly the consequence of the optimal level of containment and closure measures, but also the unfavourable epidemiological situation in other Mediterranean countries.

Right to Interpretation in Relation to Unauthorised Border Crossing and Its Criminalisation

Right to Interpretation in Relation to Unauthorised Border Crossing and Its Criminalisation

Author(s): Elena Nikolajová Kupferschmidtová / Language(s): English / Issue: 1/2022

Keywords: illegal migration; third-country nationals; EU; crime; severity of punishment; illegal border crossing; police

The presented study offers an insight into the issue of penalties imposed within selected EU Member States for the unauthorised crossing of the borders of the respective Member States and the right of third-country nationals to communicate in their own language. The right to communicate in one‘s language as a procedural guarantee applies to a third-country national only in cases of necessary interpretation before the competent authorities. However, the question remains whether the respective rights can also be applied to the translation of documents in proceedings, in particular in cases where the Member State concerned impose fines for crossing the national border illegally. At the same time, interpretation into the mother tongue remains an unanswered question. National legislation regulating the above-mentioned issue varies greatly across the EU Member States. Thus, the primary objective of the present study is to point out the diversity of severity of penalties imposed in the selected EU countries and to describe the impact it might have on providing language assistance for communication between third-country nationals and competent authorities.

Formal and Legal Requirements for State Intervention in Extraordinary Situations, Crisis Management and States of Emergency in Poland

Formal and Legal Requirements for State Intervention in Extraordinary Situations, Crisis Management and States of Emergency in Poland

Author(s): Marek Ilnicki / Language(s): English / Issue: 1/2022

Keywords: state security; crisis; particular threats to state security

The reasons for introducing states of emergency, implementing crisis management or taking remedial actions once an extraordinary situation has been identified are specific threats, especially to life and limb, property, natural environment, state security, public order and civil rights. Poland’s international obligations to give an appropriate military or economic response or to support the security of other countries can also be a prerequisite. The type, form, time and place of intervention by public authorities are dependent on the conditions accompanying the threats disrupting the standard functioning of the state and the degree of their harmfulness. The paper aims to present the complexity of classification challenges that emerge before adequate formal and legal decisions are made, as well as the principles of their implementation, while also recommending appropriate modifications. By using critical, institutional-legal and comparative analysis, the study assesses the adequacy of potential interventions with reference to existing legislative standards, as well as situational and environmental conditions. The conducted research relates to Poland’s peacetime security conditions.

The Role of Frontex in Enhancing Transborder Security of the European Union

The Role of Frontex in Enhancing Transborder Security of the European Union

Author(s): Andrzej Wawrzusiszyn / Language(s): English / Issue: 1/2022

Keywords: European Union; transborder security; migration crisis; Frontex Agency; border control

The Frontex Agency is one of the key institutions of the European Union (EU) as a coordinator of the cooperation on transborder security at the national and European levels. The activity of Frontex relates to the broad acquis communautaire of the area of freedom, security and justice (AFSJ). The migration crisis, and particularly the lack of European solidarity and the dependence on the will of individual member states, revealed the operational limitations of the agency and its ineffectiveness in the assigned scope of competence. Its mandate was consequently reformed to include the initiative to organise missions. The agency itself was transformed into the European Border and Coast Guard Agency (EBCGA) but kept the shortened name of Frontex. The new institution came to life as a partnership between Frontex and member state authorities responsible for border management. Frontex continues to support states in emergencies, however, it fails to provide a permanent guarantee of transborder security of the EU. The research problem addressed in this study centres on the activity of Frontex and its role in ensuring transborder security in the EU. The theoretical foundations are backed with an analysis of source materials (legal texts), media reports and observations of the agency’s development.

Voluntary Withdrawal from the Commission of a Crime by the Crime Organiser

Voluntary Withdrawal from the Commission of a Crime by the Crime Organiser

Author(s): Marcel Boșcaneanu,Constantin Rusnac / Language(s): English / Issue: 1/2022

Keywords: voluntary waiver; offence; participants; crime organiser; organised criminal group; criminal organisation

In this article, we analyse the question of the willing withdrawal from an offence by the offence organiser and create a clear, well-grounded scientific basis aiming to combine the provisions of the criminal law with the practice of applying the norms of law. As a result of the study, the legal nature of the voluntary withdrawal from a crime by its organiser was established, and the features of the voluntary withdrawal were confirmed.

Mobile Forensic Platforms as Technological Innovations in Rapid DNA Analysis and Support in Security and Justice System

Mobile Forensic Platforms as Technological Innovations in Rapid DNA Analysis and Support in Security and Justice System

Author(s): Magdalena Jabłońska-Milczarek / Language(s): English / Issue: 1/2022

Keywords: mobile forensic platforms; rapid DNA; field-based DNA analysis; innovations in DNA workflows; novel genetic platforms

There is a strong internal need in the criminal justice system to obtain forensic information as fast as it is possible. A response to this requirement can be the implementation of real-time, on-site mobile forensic platforms that are able to perform robust scientific analysis outside the controlled laboratory environment. In this paper, new technological solutions and forensic systems are discussed, mainly based on rapid DNA instruments. The benefits and disadvantages of this approach are shown as well as its impact on the system of criminal justice.

Organised Crime in Poland in the 1980s and at the Beginning of the Transformation Period from the Perspective of Criminological Sciences. Criminological Initiatives to Prevent and Combat Organised Crime

Organised Crime in Poland in the 1980s and at the Beginning of the Transformation Period from the Perspective of Criminological Sciences. Criminological Initiatives to Prevent and Combat Organised Crime

Author(s): Emil W. Pływaczewski / Language(s): English / Issue: 1/2022

Keywords: organised crime; criminological initiatives; prevention and combatting of organised crime

The article on Organised Crime in Poland in the 1980s and at the Beginning of the Transformation Period from the Perspective of Criminological Sciences. Criminological Initiatives to Prevent and Combat Organised Crime is divided into four main parts. They are: Introduction (Problems of Organised Crime in the People’s Republic of Poland), Organised crime at the beginning of the transition period and its assessment and Criminological initiatives to prevent and combat organised crime. The third part of the article is devoted to the most important scientific conference on organised crime, community-wide initiatives (Foundation Against Organised Crime), and the Advisory Team of the Defence Affairs Committee of the Council of Ministers on Contemporary Crime. In the final part of the article (Concluding remarks), the author stresses that the expertise and previous achievements of the members of the Advisory Team of the Defence Affairs Committee of the Council of Ministers (1995-1997) were allegedly taken into account in the work of the ‘Team for the Coordination of Organised Crime Surveillance Activities’ established in 1997 under the chairmanship of the Minister of Internal Affairs and Administration. Today, the initiative by the Minister of Justice Zbigniew Ziobro deserves special recognition for establishing on 11 July 2018 the Institute of Economic and Financial Expertise in Łódź.

Environmental Safety — Selected Instruments of Legal Protection

Environmental Safety — Selected Instruments of Legal Protection

Author(s): Piotr Chlebowicz / Language(s): English / Issue: 1/2022

Keywords: green criminology; ecocriminology; criminal-law protection of endangered species

The article reviews new research directions in criminology and makes an attempt to place the problem of bird protection in the urban environment against the background of these theories. The author presents the issue of the legal protection of endangered bird species in the context of human activity, at the same time emphasising that extinction threats will not always have a criminal nature. The article points out that virtually all the authors dealing with green criminology highlight the importance of criminological research on the advanced forms of crime (such as organised crime and white collar crime) for the natural environment areas. Currently, criminological sciences have begun to extend their interest to broadly understood environmental threats. The author stresses that ecological issues have been recognised as an important research field of contemporary criminological sciences and that new concepts and a new conceptual framework for describing the interdependence of crime and other pathological phenomena, including the destruction of the natural environment, have appeared in criminology worldwide. The second part of the article/paper refers to the application of Article 181 of the Criminal Code in relation to perpetrators destroying habitats of endangered bird species.

Predictors of Secondary Traumatic Stress Symptoms in Police Officers Exposed to Secondary Trauma

Predictors of Secondary Traumatic Stress Symptoms in Police Officers Exposed to Secondary Trauma

Author(s): Nina Ogińska-Bulik,Grzegorz Bąk / Language(s): English / Issue: 1/2022

Keywords: personality; police; predictors; secondary traumatic stress; self-efficacy; rumination

Police officers are particularly exposed to work-related stress and one of the difficult situations they face is contact with trauma victims. Such exposure may entail a range of negative consequences for helpers, such as symptoms of secondary traumatic stress (STS) and risk of secondary traumatic stress disorder (STSD). The aim of this study is to establish the predictors of STS symptoms among police officers who have been exposed to secondary trauma in the line of duty. The following factors have been assessed as potential predictors: personality traits, rumination on their experiences, and a sense of self-efficacy in coping with trauma experienced by others. The research was carried out from June to October 2021 at the Police Academy in Szczytno, Poland, among participants of training and professional courses for police officers. Out of 790 surveyed officers, the results of 682 officers who reported direct contact with trauma victims were taken into account. Four standard measurement tools, i.e. the Secondary Traumatic Stress Inventory, The NEO Five-Factor Inventory, The Event Related Rumination Inventory, The Secondary Trauma Self-Efficacy Scale, were used, along with a survey developed for the purpose of the study. The participants demonstrated a relatively low risk of experiencing negative consequences of exposure to secondary trauma: a low risk of developing STSD was observed for 86.1% of the participants and a high risk was observed for 13.9%. The symptoms of STS were positively correlated with ruminations on the traumatic events experienced by clients, especially intrusive ones. Intrusive ruminations turned out to be the main predictor of STS. With regard to personality traits, STS was most closely associated with neuroticism. A sense of self-efficacy was negatively correlated with symptoms of STS. Although the study on police officers working with trauma victims showed rather low intensity of STS symptoms, it is advisable to expand their the competencies in coping with trauma, including reducing the tendency to ruminate on the traumatic events experienced by client.

Justification and Significance of Selected Attributes of Criminal Mediation in Preparatory Proceedings

Justification and Significance of Selected Attributes of Criminal Mediation in Preparatory Proceedings

Author(s): Patrícia Krásná,Lucia Kurilovská / Language(s): English / Issue: 1/2022

Keywords: mediation; criminal policy; restorative justice; victim; perpetrator; society; preparatory proceedings

In the submitted work, the authors examine the institute of mediation applied in the criminal system of the Slovak Republic. The authors define the basic characteristics of mediation, its justification and importance, particularly in the preparatory proceedings. The article aims to outline and purposively define a description of the institute of criminal mediation and its effectiveness in preparatory proceedings. Its other aim is to clearly define the importance of mediation and its selected attributes in the context of restorative justice. The submitted article is an output of the authors’ scholarly activity within applied research supported by the Agency for the Support of Research and Development under Contract No. APVV-19-0102, ‘Effectiveness of preparatory procedure — the examination, evaluation, criteria and impact of legislative changes’. The article provides a source of information for application practice experts and expert knowledge from academic publications. The following scientific methods were used in the article: analysis, synthesis and guided interviews. The result of the research is the presented article, which points out the importance of applying elements of mediation in the criminal system of the Slovak Republic and the possibilities of its application in the context of streamlining preparatory proceedings. The submitted article has not been published in any other periodical.

The Socio-psychological Repercussions of the Environment of Deprivation of Liberty

The Socio-psychological Repercussions of the Environment of Deprivation of Liberty

Author(s): Oleg Rusu / Language(s): English / Issue: 1/2022

Keywords: detention; criminal punishment; penitentiary environment; penitentiary treatment; mental state

The article analyses the socio-psychological effects of the penitentiary environment. Thus, the author mentions that in the conditions of social isolation, the human personality is influenced by different psychogenic factors which lead to neurotic reactions, suicide attempts, mental disorders, and other similar issues. By affecting the entire personality and leaving its imprint on the behaviour, the lack of freedom deeply marks the life of individuals and their social relations. In this context, it is pointed out that better collaboration between the penitentiary system and other state institutions would certainly support an easier social reintegration of persons who have served sentences of deprivation of liberty.

The State of Philippine-Iran Bilateral Relations, Maximizing Values, Human Potentials and Shared History

The State of Philippine-Iran Bilateral Relations, Maximizing Values, Human Potentials and Shared History

Author(s): Henelito A. SEVILLA jr / Language(s): English / Issue: 12/2023

Keywords: History; Iran; Philippines; relations; soft power; shared history; geopolitics

The Philippines and Iran are two important players in the geopolitical transition of Asian and the Pacific region. The geopolitical values that these two countries held over many decades exposes them to rivalries and competition among regional and international powers. In some part of history, they became a closed ally to the United States, while regime change in Iran in the late 1970s had created some sort of difficulty for both countries to improve bilateral relations amidst normalization. This paper therefore seeks to investigate existing domestic and external factors that can help explain the underdeveloped state of their bilateral relations. In doing so, the paper advances the idea that although the Philippines and Iran are sovereign and independent countries, the course and direction of their relation since the post-1979 event was heavily affected by the US policy vis-à-vis the Philippines and Iran.

Mirosław Michalak, Konteksty kulturowe średniowiecznego eposu irańskiego Garšāspnāme i ich źródła. Warszawa: Wydawnictwa UW, 2020, ISBN: 978-83-235-4271-1

Mirosław Michalak, Konteksty kulturowe średniowiecznego eposu irańskiego Garšāspnāme i ich źródła. Warszawa: Wydawnictwa UW, 2020, ISBN: 978-83-235-4271-1

Author(s): Patryk SKUPNIEWICZ / Language(s): English / Issue: 12/2023

Book Review

Who was the author of the map of the Khotyn fortress siege of 1788?

Who was the author of the map of the Khotyn fortress siege of 1788?

Author(s): Leszek OPYRCHAŁ / Language(s): English / Issue: 12/2023

Keywords: History; Map; Historical Cartography; Khotyn; Józef de Witte; Russian-Turkish war

Two maps documenting the capture of Khotyn, which took place during the Russian-Turkish war fought in 1787-1792, have been preserved in Polish archival collections. One was made by Adam Dłuski, the other is anonymous. A comparison of the details of the two maps and the plan of the Kamianets-Podilskyi fortress made by Jan Bakałowicz shows that the author of the anonymous map was the commanding officer of the Kamianets-Podilskyi fortress – Józef de Witte. Due to the fact that his wife, Zofia, maintained too close relationships with General Saltykov, who commanded the Russian army, he was accused of treason. Probably in order to regain the favor of the Polish King Stanisław August Poniatowski, Józef de Witte made a map of the siege of Khotyn.

Potocki Eustachy, Sitkowski Stanisław Kostka Apolinary

Potocki Eustachy, Sitkowski Stanisław Kostka Apolinary

Author(s): Joanna KOWALIK-BYLICKA / Language(s): English / Issue: 12/2023

Keywords: History; biographies; Podlasie; Mazovia

Biographies of people born or related to activities in the area of Southern Podlasie and Eastern Mazovia.

The pottery from Chia Sor, the Qara-Su River basin (Kermanshah, Iran)

The pottery from Chia Sor, the Qara-Su River basin (Kermanshah, Iran)

Author(s): Ali NOURALLAHI / Language(s): English / Issue: 12/2023

Keywords: Archeology; Iran; Central Zagros; Kermanshah; Awan; Godin III; Chia Sor; pottery

Chia Sor is a hill located 2 kilometers from the Qarasu River and on the northern slopes of Kuh i Sefid (Kyva Charmi) and south of Kermanshah city. The pottery of this area, is related to Godin III4, III5 and III6. During the author's visit to this site, a number of surface pottery sherds was collected, which the comparative study of the pottery shows that they belong to the Godin III6 period.

The youth of Bohdan Hawrylyshyn (1926-1944)

The youth of Bohdan Hawrylyshyn (1926-1944)

Author(s): Petro HAVRYLYSHYN,Oleh ZHERNOKLEIEV,Rafał ROGUSKI / Language(s): English / Issue: 12/2023

Keywords: History; Bohdan Hawrylyshyn; childhood; Plast; Koropets; Eastern Galicia; Halychyna; Second Polish Republic; the USSR; German occupation

The article highlights the youth of a well-known Ukrainian, scientist and economist Bohdan Dmytrovych Hawrylyshyn (1926-2016). Important factors that affected further development of his worldview and personality are traced. Important facts from the life of Bohdan Hawrylyshyn over the researched period are clarified on the basis of the memories left, interviews, and other sources.

Solidarity in the Context of Migration: A Philosophical Perspective

Solidarity in the Context of Migration: A Philosophical Perspective

Author(s): Grzegorz BARTH / Language(s): English / Issue: 12/2023

Keywords: History; Solidarity; Migration; Migration Crises; Refugees; European Virtue and Value

Solidarity is a permanent component of social life. In this sense, it becomes a transformative value that clearly connects people and their projects with others. The current situation in the world sharpens the issue of human solidarity. War, migration crises, aggressive globalization, territorial elitism, consumerism, populism, and the ideologization of social discourse lead to the distortion or elimination of the idea of solidarity. Nowadays, there are multi-level and multi-directional changes and transformations in individual and social ethos. Therefore, understanding solidarity requires an analysis of the context in which it is applied, as well as basic scientific assumptions. The article addresses this issue in the context of migration. It consists of three main elements: 1/ Firstly, it explains the philosophical phenomenon of solidarity as a very complex and multi-faceted individual and social reality; 2/ It portrays solidarity as a European virtue and value, which today seems to be experiencing certain difficulties in the EU’s migration policy, particularly revealed by the refugee crisis; 3/ It presents several ways of reflecting on solidarity in the light of representatives of contemporary philosophy and theoreticians of political thought (H.G. Gadamer, J. Dean, A. Grimmel, J. Tischner). These proposals can become an opportunity and a call to reflect on solidarity in times of its axiological and actual deficit.

A memoir about Dr. Ryszard Piasek – a Poznań filmmaker

A memoir about Dr. Ryszard Piasek – a Poznań filmmaker

Author(s): Katarzyna BALBUZA / Language(s): English / Issue: 12/2023

Keywords: History; Poznań; Ryszard Piasek; Documentary Film; Historical Film

A memoir about Dr. Ryszard Piasek – a filmmaker, reporter, social activist and film producer.