Legal opinion concerning the obligation to seek opinion on proposed amendments to statutes governing the State’s attitude to individual Churches and r Cover Image

Opinia prawna w sprawie obowiązku zasięgania opinii co do zmian w ustawach regulujących stosunek państwa do poszczególnych kościołów i związków (...)
Legal opinion concerning the obligation to seek opinion on proposed amendments to statutes governing the State’s attitude to individual Churches and r

Author(s): Piotr Czarny
Subject(s): Law, Constitution, Jurisprudence
Published by: Kancelaria Sejmu
Keywords: Poland; Church; religious organizations; particular statutes; Constitution;

Summary/Abstract: The aim of the article is to present a list of entities competent for provision of opinions to Deputies’ bills which specify the State’s attitude to Churches and religious organizations, regulate their legal status, as well as the relations between the Republic of Poland and churches and religious organizations. The author attempts to answer the question whether the constitutional standard resulting from Article 25 paragraphs 4 and 5 of the Constitution is met by referring a bill for consultation to appropriate churches and religious organizations. He concludes that the power to provide obligatory opinion concerning bills amending statutes relating to the State’s attitude to particular churches and religious organizations (the so-called particular statutes) is vested in ten churches and religious organizations. Moreover, the provisions of the statutes, which contain an obligation to seek a legally non-binding opinion from a competent body of a Church or religious organization (based on an appropriate particular statute), are inconsistent with Article 25 paragraph 5 of the Constitution which requires that statutes governing relations between the State and Churches and religious organizations should be preceded by agreements concluded by the Council of Ministers and their appropriate representatives.

  • Issue Year: 2012
  • Issue No: 4
  • Page Range: 78-86
  • Page Count: 9
  • Language: Polish