ZNACZENIE KONSTYTUCYJNEJ ZASADY PODZIAŁU WŁADZY DLA PRAWA KARNEGO MATERIALNEGO

Abstract

Legal issues in criminal law from the point o f view of the constitutional principle of the separation of powers could only be given in outline here. Four main issues have been discussed. Firstly, whether the legislator is entitled, and if he can, to what extent, to invest into the executive power with the task of determining the grounds (constituting) criminal responsibility, and more precisely, the interpretation of the nullum crimen sine lege principle in the context of article 31 clause 3 and article 42 clause 1 of the Constitution. Secondly, whether in Poland's constitutional system (order) exist instruments which a legislator could use to check the scope of criminalisation. Here, the dispute concerning the right of criminal courts to disregard, at their own discretion, the norm arising from an Act or ordinance, if such a norm is found to be in conflict with the Constitution. Thirdly, an attempt has been made to determine the level of judicial competence that may be vested in the criminal court to establish the attributes of a prohibited act. And fourthly, the level to which the legislator is authorised to propose absolutely determined punishment has been analysed, followed with a question whether such punishments are in line with the separation of power-based jurisdiction of courts appointed to administer justice.