Criminality of Preparation to Murder Cover Image

Karalność przygotowania do zabójstwa człowieka
Criminality of Preparation to Murder

Author(s): Dominika Bek
Subject(s): Criminal Law, Criminology, Penal Policy
Published by: Akademia Leona Koźmińskiego
Keywords: preparation; murder; contract killing; criminalisation; penalisation;

Summary/Abstract: The inspiration behind the article is the two new provisions of the Polish Criminal Code, penalising the up to now unpunished behaviour leading up to murder, introduced by means of the Act of 13 June 2019 on the Amendment of the Act – Criminal Code and Certain Other Acts. Despite the decision of the Constitutional Tribunal on the unconstitutionality of the ac, it is reasonable to look into the mechanism of preparation to murder and contract killing, if only because of the fact that these solutions may return in further draft amendments to the Criminal Code. The analysed provisions has given rise to a more general reflection on the legitimacy of penalisation of preparation to murder in the light of contemporary indications of the theory of criminalisation. The discussion also features remarks on the already functioning types of prohibited acts, used, among others, to criminalise acts undertaken at the stage of preparation to murder. The conclusions have led to a demand for the adoption of a provision sanctioning an incomplete variant of preparation to murder and for a total abandonment of separate criminalisation of contract killing.

  • Issue Year: 12/2020
  • Issue No: 4
  • Page Range: 32-49
  • Page Count: 18
  • Language: Polish