Assumptions of proceeding in juvenile cases in the court practice

Biuletyn Polskiego Towarzystwa Kryminologicznego 2017, nr 24, s. 24-30.

Artykuł stanowi podsumowanie projektu badawczego zrealizowanego w Instytucie Nauk Prawnych Polskiej Akademii Nauk. W ramach projektu zostały przeprowadzone dwa rodzaje badań: 1) ogólnopolskie badania sondażowe skierowane do trzech grup respondentów – sędziów dla nieletnich, zawodowych kuratorów rodzinnych oraz specjalistów zatrudnionych w opiniodawczych zespołach sądowych specjalistów, 2) indywidualne półustrukturyzowane wywiady jakościowe z przedstawicielami tych trzech grup zawodowych. W artykule zostały zamieszczone tylko niektóre wyniki. Szczególna uwaga została poświęcona realizacji założeń Ustawy o postępowaniu w sprawach nieletnich w praktyce orzeczniczej sądu. Potrzebę badań w tym zakresie uzasadnia fakt ustawowego zobowiązania sędziego dla nieletnich do gromadzenia informacji o nieletnim i jego środowisku - bezpośrednio lub pośrednio przy wykorzystaniu instytucji pomocniczych.

Article is a summary of the research project realized in The Institute of Law Studies of the Polish Academy of Sciences. In the course of project, there were conducted national surveys addressed to juvenile judges, professional family probation officers, experts from diagnostic teams and the individual in-depth interviews with selected representatives of these groups. The aim of the article is to present the results of the researches, the mainly the answer on the question how do juvenile courts realize in practice the assumptions of the Act on Proceeding in Juvenile Cases. Researches, in the application of law, have been considered particularly important because the law obliges the juvenile judges to collect information about juvenile and his/her environment – directly or indirectly (by supporting institutions).

Efficiency of consultative teams of court experts

Prawo w działaniu 2017, t. 32, s. 113-128.

The article contains a comparison of the work of diagnostic teams providing opinions for the need of courts in cases concerning juveniles as well as in family and care cases in connection with changes with respect to the legal status concerning the professional status and organization of their work (‘Consultative teams of court experts replaced ‘family diagnostic-consulting centres’). The studies, the fi ndings of which are presented, are based on a historic-theoretical analysis, analysis of the provisions regulating the functioning of the family diagnostic-consulting centres and consultative teams of court experts, statistical analysis, court fi les analysis and discussion of a qualitative study

Artykuł zawiera porównanie pracy zespołów diagnostycznych opiniujących na potrzeby sądów w sprawach nieletnich oraz w sprawach rodzinnych i opiekuńczych w związku ze zmianami w zakresie stanu prawnego dotyczącego statusu zawodowego i organizacji ich pracy („Opiniodawcze zespoły sądowych specjalistów” zastąpiły „rodzinne ośrodków diagnostyczno-konsultacyjne). W badaniach, których wyniki są prezentowane wykorzystano analizę historyczno-teoretyczną, analizę przepisów regulujących funkcjonowanie rodzinnych ośrodków diagnostyczno-konsultacyjnych i opiniodawczych zespołów sądowych specjalistów, analizę statystyczną, badanie aktowe oraz omówiono wyniki badania jakościowego

Opinia biegłego w sprawach cywilnych w świetle badania aktowego

Prawo w działaniu 2017, t. 31, s. 155-176.

The paper presents a summary case records study of civil proceedings conducted by the Institute of Justice under the project “Expert witness in court proceeding. Comprehensive picture of the system under the study of case records, surveys, statistical and economic analysis”. The aim of the study was to identify the legal practice of consulting with the expert witnesses in civil proceedings including settlements on: 1) type of specialisation which specialised knowledge would have the highest request in civil proceedings; 2) type of the institution court would address for the opinion; 3) time set for submitting the opinion; 4) basics and formal aspects of writing the opinion; 5) evaluation of the suitability of the proof driven from the opinion both by the court and parties/participants in the proceedings. The findings have been compared with the present judicial decisions and literature of the subject. The judicial practice on addressing to the expert witness is not homogeneous, moreover it is sometimes inconsistent with the mandatory regulations of law. The study has led to the conclusion that in civil proceedings the court advised mainly the specialised knowledge of the medicine expert witnesses, thus indicating as preferable, written form of opinion and setting time to submit the opinion. In low percentage of opinions the courts addressed to the Institute for the opinion. Vast majority of opinions have been evaluated by the court as accurate and complete. Some of the opinions, according to the court, were insignifi cant, faulty or erroneous. In the perspective of the study it seems signifi cant to point out the aspect raised by many other authors, that there is a need for the tool giving good evaluation of the competence of the person applying to enter in the expert witness register. The study implicates that the basis for about the half of the written opinions was specialised knowledge of the expert witness.

Przestępczość nieletnich i sądowa reakcja na nią w świetle danych statystycznych

Zmiana i kontrola : społeczeństwo wobec przestępczości / redakcja naukowa i wstęp Konrad Buczkowski, Witold Klaus, Paulina Wiktorska, Dagmara Woźniakowska-Fajst ; recenzje: Janina Błachut, Beata Gruszczyńska ; Instytut Nauk Prawnych PAN. Warszawa : Wydawnictwo Naukowe Scholar, Polskie Towarzystwo Kryminologiczne, INP PAN, 2017, s. 161-188.

Reakcja sądu wobec nieletnich sprawców czynów karalnych

Współczesna przestępczość i patologie społeczne z perspektywy interdyscyplinarnych badań kryminologicznych / redakcja naukowa Emil W. Pływaczewski, Emilia Jurgielewicz-Delegacz, Diana Dajnowicz-Piesiecka. Warszawa : C.H. Beck, 2017, s. 21-28.

Sylwetki nieletnich sprawców, wobec których sąd orzekł umieszczenie w młodzieżowym ośrodku wychowawczym lub w zakładzie poprawczym

Archiwum Kryminologii 2017, t. XXXIX, s. 273-314.

The article analyses the profiles of youth offenders with regard to whom courts in 2014 ruled one of the most severe penal measures specified in art. 6 of the Law on juvenile justice of 26 October 1982, i.e. placement in a youth care centre or youth correctional facility. The analysis was carried out using materials collected in the course of research at the National Institute of Justice for the Ministry of Justice within the framework of the project ‘Application of educational measures in the form of placement in youth care facilities and of correctional measures by family and youth courts in light of statistical data and court record research’. The research sample consisted of 397 juveniles (319 boys and 78 girls), who had been brought before a court for criminal offenses (demoralisation was indicated only in 75 of the cases). Information was also collected on 60 other juveniles with regard to whom the court had ruled non-isolation education measures or had discontinued proceedings. Due to the sizable disproportion between the two groups, the latter group was only used for comparative purposes at the stage of compiling the final report. It is not discussed in the article.For the purposes of the study, the notion of ‘juvenile profile’ was defined using the following variables: sex, age, school level, place of residence, problem behaviour at school and outside school, previous interaction with the system of justice, previously applied education measures and the nature of the offense. This ‘profile’ was supplemented by a description of the juvenile’s environment, including family structure, parents’ education and employment status, living conditions and occurring problems. A brief overview of Polish and international literature concerning the risk and protective factors when it comes to youth offenders confirms that it is useful to consider these two elements together. The aim of the analysis was to find out who were the offenders with regard to whom courts had ruled one of the most severe measures under art. 6 of the Juvenile law. Eight detailed research questions were formulated. Most of them came down to determining whether variables such as sex, age, school level, place of residence, negative behaviour in school or outside of school, previous experiences with juvenile courts and problems in the family had any influence on a higher incidence of offending. One of the questions was related to whether certain risk factors in the subjects’ family environment occurred more frequently depending on sex. Correlation between the variables was tested using cross tables and Cramer’s V and Phi statistical measures. Also included is a statistical analysis of juvenile delinquency based on the data of the Polish National Police Headquarters and of the Ministry of Justice.It was found that the juveniles with regard to whom the most severe measures had been ruled in 2014 were mostly boys who had committed criminal offenses, mostly property crimes, at the age of 15-16. They were middle school (gimnazjum) students, living in cities, causing problems both in school and beyond. More than half had previously come into conflict with the law and had previously been sentenced to different education measures. On average, one in two was growing up in a full family (whether biological, adoptive or reconstructed), in which the income did not exceed the national average. The living conditions of around half of them were average, while the family environment was characterised by various problems, ranging from substance abuse, criminality and prison sentences to domestic violence. Although the studied boys and girls presented a similar picture, a more detailed analysis of certain variables made it possible to bring out significant differences. These differences are visible when it comes to the reasons for launching proceedings before a court, the age at which the offense was committed, the problems caused, previous contacts with the law, as well as the type and frequency of previously applied education measures. The risk factors in the family environments of boys and girls were also largely the same. The only difference was the intensity of their occurrence – decidedly higher in the families of juvenile boys. This means that the boys had grown up in worse living conditions, their parents were less educated were rarely employed. The intensity of problems related to substance abuse, a criminal record and domestic violence in their homes was also higher.

Koszty postępowań sądowych w sprawach rozwodowych

Prawo w działaniu 2017, t. 29, s. 76-108.

Współautorstwo: Joński, Kamil; Ostaszewski, Paweł

The article presents the outcome of research conducted to estimate real costs on carrying out proceedings on dissolution of marriage in Polish common courts. During the research budgetary revenues and expenditures concerning divorce proceedings were established, this means remuneration of adjudicating authority and administration, expenses on participation of lay judges and expert witnesses, as well as on technical support and court fees onbehalf of the sides.The analysis of budgetary and statistical reports of the regional courts has been conductedtogether with the analysis of dissolution of marriage case records, surveys of regional courts, judges and court offi cials as well as the economic analysis. The subject of the researchwas to determine if it is possible to reduce the costs of divorce proceedings and also if any changes in court fees are justifi ed (including those increasing the budgetary revenues).

Przestępczość cudzoziemców w Polsce : na podstawie policyjnych statystyk przestępczości

Współautorstwo: Rzeplińska, Irena

Przestępczość cudzoziemców : aspekty prawne, kryminologiczne i praktyczne / redakcja naukowa i słowo wstępne Witold Klaus, Katarzyna Laskowska, Irena Rzeplińska ; recenzenci: prof. dr hab. Janina Błachut, prof. dr hab. Emil Walenty Pływaczewski. . Warszawa : Wydawnictwo Naukowe Scholar ; Instytut Nauk Prawnych PAN, 2017, s. 19-37.