The principle of nullum crimen sine lege in the context of crimes typified in Art. 256 §1 of the Penal Code Cover Image

Zasada nullum crimen sine lege w kontekście przestępstw stypizowanych w art. 256 § 1 k.k.
The principle of nullum crimen sine lege in the context of crimes typified in Art. 256 §1 of the Penal Code

Author(s): Tomasz Scheffler
Subject(s): Criminal Law
Published by: Uniwersytet Opolski
Keywords: nullum crimen sine lege; hate speech; freedom of speech; limits of freedom of speech; fascism; totalitarianism; penal code; discrimination

Summary/Abstract: The paper presents interpretations of the content of the legal principle of nullum crimen sine lege and the influence of this principle on legal characterisation of crime of public propagation of a fascist or other totalitarian governance system and crime of public agitation to hatred based on national, ethnic, racial or religious differences or for reason of a lack of any religiousdenomination. In the author’s opinion, the most difficult problem in the case of crimes typified in Art. 256 § 1 of Polish Penal Code lies in that many layers consider the legal principle of nullum crimen as a commonplace. In the paper, there are several cases presented of adjudications of the Polish Supreme Court relating to what considerations of the legal principle of nullum crimen may cause so that we can obtain clear views on the problem.

  • Issue Year: XVI/2018
  • Issue No: 4(2)
  • Page Range: 119-140
  • Page Count: 22
  • Language: Polish