Procesy dyscyplinarne sędziów tak zwanych sekcji tajnych, część II
Disciplinary Proceedings against Judges of the So-Called Secret Sections, Part II

Summary/Abstract: This paper is the second part of an article on two disciplinary proceedings conducted in 1957–1958 against four judges of the so-called secret sections: Merz, Czajkowski, Stępczyński, and Rubinow. The study offers a discussion of the two judgments of the Higher Disciplinary Court handed down in the case and the judgment of the Supreme Disciplinary Court following Rubinow’s appeal. The case concluded with either the dismissal or acquittal of the defendants on most of the charges. Rubinow was eventually found guilty, but only of one act, for which he received a symbolic punishment. In summarizing the course and outcome of the trial, the author draws attention to the reasons behind the verdict, which resulted in the discrediting of the disciplinary judiciary—despite the obvious judicial crimes committed in the secret section—and the parties that bear the blame for this state of affairs. While the involvement of judges in the activities of the secret section is now a matter of public record, until recently it had not been widely known which judges of the Supreme Court contributed to the impunity of the judicial criminals. It is noteworthy that four successive First Presidents of the Supreme Court (1945–1976) tolerated the activities of the secret section (Barcikowski), participated in its activities (Bafia), or helped to ensure the impunity of its participants (Wasilkowski, Resich).

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