Procedural Justice as a Rule of Law and Expression of Respect for Human Dignity
Procedural Justice as a Rule of Law and Expression of Respect for Human Dignity

Summary/Abstract: Human dignity in the Polish law is considered as the basis for the system of rights and freedoms regulated in Chapter II of the Constitution of 1997. In turn, the rule of law is a principle of constitutional democracy respecting human rights. Procedural rules focus on the manner in which the state operates, also in relation to individuals. Procedural justice as a principle derived from the rule of law can be defined as a set of values whose guarantee in legal norms and implementation in procedural practice affects their fairness and enables their positive evaluation. The jurisprudence of the Constitutional Tribunal considers the principle of procedural fairness as one of the principles of the rule of law and binds it with the right to court which means exactly: 1) the right of access to court, 2) the right to really fair procedure, 3) the right to court judgment, and 4) the right to appropriate shape of the system of the authorities examining cases. Appropriate shaping (fairness) of the procedure within the meaning presented by the Constitutional Tribunal ensures in particular that the parties of proceedings have: the right to be heard; the right to obtain a justification of the decision, which prevents arbitrary action of the court; ensured predictability of the proceedings; guarantee of procedural measures balancing the position of the parties; ensured the control of the decision by a superior instance; guarantee of impartiality of the judge. Meeting these requirements guarantees respect for dignity of a man as a participant in the proceedings.

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