Zawarcie małżeństwa cywilnego w formie wyznaniowej w sytuacji sporządzenia aktu małżeństwa z naruszeniem artykułu 8 Kodeksu rodzinnego i opiekuńczego. Glosa aprobująca do uchwały Sądu Najwyższego z dnia 10 maja 2023 roku (III CZP 71/22)
Conclusion of a civil marriage in the religious form in the case of a marriage certificate drawn up in infringement of Article 8 of the Polish Family and Guardianship Code. The approving commentary on the judgment of the Supreme Court of 10 May 2023

Summary/Abstract: The present commentary analyses the resolution of a panel of seven judges of the Polish Supreme Court of May 10, 2023 (III CZP 71/22). The Court stated that the criteria provided in Article 1 § 2 of the Family and Guardianship Code are of fundamental importance to assess whether a marriage governed by a church’s or other religious organization’s internal law produces the effects of marriage concluded in accordance with Polish law. This means that one of the sine qua non conditions of the conclusion of civil marriage in the religious form – despite the prevailing view on the declaratory nature of civil status records – is drawing up a marriage certificate. When assessing the aforementioned resolution, this paper considers whether it is possible to assign to civil status acts not only a declaratory nature but also, depending on the circumstances, a constitutive character. This paper also addresses the question of the mutual relationship between Articles 1 § 2 and 8 of the Family and Guardianship Code in the context of possibly questioning a civil marriage’s existence in situations wherein the registrar draws up a marriage certificate despite violations of the requirements in the latter provision – particularly when the clergyman has failed to meet the deadline defined in Article 8 § 3. The author approves of the view that the drawing up of the marriage certificate is a necessary condition for the conclusion of civil marriage in the religious form. The regulations under Article 8 of the Family and Guardianship Code should be treated as a special administrative procedure, the violation of which may lead to a refusal to draw up a marriage certificate. However, any shortcomings in this respect cannot in themselves result in the declaration of the nonexistence of a civil marriage.

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