Book Description

The book deals with two very important but imprecise terms in contemporary law, namely public policy and public morality. It is commendable that such a comprehensive work about general clauses has been prepared. They are the elements of the common good which refers directly to Article 1 of the Constitution of the Republic of Poland. The aim of these clauses is to protect the integrity of Polish legal order and the reason why they are applied boils down to the public interest. The clauses refer to the extralegal criteria of a moral, economic or political nature. That is why, for a legal practice, it appears vital that experts contribute to the clarification of their content and meaning as a legal categories. No less important is entrusting or leaving this task to the courts and other legal bodies. These efforts serve to ensure necessary flexibility in applying, in particular, the public policy clause – a safety valve of legal order. prof. Franciszek Longchamps de Bérier, Jagiellonian University in Kraków The theme of the volume and the studies included in it are very interesting and important from a cognitive and applied perspective. The authors of the book represent various academic circles and different legal disciplines, whereas their conclusiveness is an essential value of the presented analyses. Dr hab. Krzysztof Motyka, The John Paul II Catholic University of Lublin, Poland The idea of the authors of the book to discuss the issues of “public policy” and “public morality” as legal clauses in Polish law against the background of legal solutions of the European Union and international law deserves recognition. It efficiently combines the findings of the legal doctrine and the judicial decisions which allows to view these problems not only from the theoretical and legal perspective, but also from a practical angle. The presented definitions, theoretical and legal considerations, as well as the rulings regarding the clauses of “public policy” and “public morality” constitute a starting point for the authors to formulate their own arguments and conclusions de lege lata and de lege ferenda. The authors also skillfully describe the afore-mentioned clauses and demonstrate their close relationship with constitutional axiology, emphasizing their limitative nature and homeostatic role. Dr hab. Paweł Cichoń, Jagiellonian University in Kraków, Poland