Ministry of Justice (Poland)
{{Short description|Government ministry of Poland}}
{{Infobox government agency
| agency_name = Ministry of Justice
| nativename = Ministerstwo Sprawiedliwości
| logo = Ministerstwo Sprawiedliwości logo 2022.png
| logo_caption = Ministerial logotype
| image = Ministerstwo Sprawiedliwości 2021.jpg
| image_caption = The seat of the Ministry of Justice at 11 Al. Ujazdowskie, opposite the Sejm in central Warsaw
| formed =
| preceding1 =
| preceding2 =
| jurisdiction =
| headquarters = Al. Ujazdowskie 11, Warsaw
| employees =
| budget =
| chief1_name = Adam Bodnar
| chief1_position = Minister of Justice
| parent_agency = Council of Ministers
| website = [http://www.gov.pl/sprawiedliwosc www.gov.pl/sprawiedliwosc]
| footnotes =
}}
The Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Poland is one of the ministries of Poland.
The Ministry of Justice was established by the Decree of the Council of Ministers of 3 November 1999 on the creation of the Ministry of Justice.{{Cite web |title=Dziennik Ustaw 1999 r. nr 91, poz. 1024 |url=https://dziennikustaw.gov.pl/DU/1999/s/91/1024 |access-date=2024-08-07 |website=dziennikustaw.gov.pl}}
The remit of the Minister of Justice is set out in the Ordinance of the President of the Council of Ministers of 13 December 2017 on the detailed scope of activities of the Minister of Justice.{{Cite web |title=Dziennik Ustaw 2017 r. poz. 2330 |url=https://dziennikustaw.gov.pl/DU/2017/2330 |access-date=2024-08-07 |website=dziennikustaw.gov.pl}}
The Ministry of Justice is a subsidiary office of the Minister of Justice, the chief government administration body responsible for the justice branch of government administration.{{Cite web |title=Podstawowe informacje - Ministerstwo Sprawiedliwości - Portal Gov.pl |url=https://www.gov.pl/web/sprawiedliwosc/podstawowe-informacje |access-date=2024-08-07 |website=Ministerstwo Sprawiedliwości |language=pl-PL}}
From 1956 to 1957, Zofia Wasilkowska was the first woman to serve as a Minister of Justice in Poland's history.{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=c0uTDAAAQBAJ&pg=PT363|title=New Perspectives on European Women's Legal History|last1=Kimble|first1=Sara L.|last2=Röwekamp|first2=Marion|date=2016-07-01|publisher=Routledge|isbn=9781317577157|language=en}}
Each Minister of Justice between 1990 and 2010 and since 2016 has also been Public Prosecutor General.
Competences of the Minister of Justice
The regulation defines the detailed scope of the Minister of Justice's competences:
- The Minister heads the department of government administration - justice.
- The Minister is the disposer of parts 15 and 37 of the state budget.
- The Minister's services are provided by the Ministry of Justice.
= The justice department covers matters of =
- judiciary,
- prosecutor's office, notary's office, advocacy service and legal counsels, within the scope resulting from separate provisions,
- the execution of penalties and educational and correctional measures ordered by the courts, and matters of post-penitentiary assistance.
The minister competent for justice shall ensure the preparation of draft codifications of civil law, including family law, and criminal law.
The Minister competent for matters of justice shall be competent in matters of the judiciary within the scope of matters not reserved by separate regulations to the competence of other state bodies and taking into account the principle of judicial independence.
List of ministers
=Ministers of Justice (1989-present)=
| class="wikitable" |
| !Portrait
!Name !Party ! colspan="2" |Term of Office !Prime Minister (cabinet) |
|---|
| style="background:{{party color|Polish People's Party}};"|
|60px |United People's Party/Polish People's Party |12 September 1989 |12 January 1991 |
| style="background:{{party color|Christian National Union}};"|
|60px |12 January 1991 |25 November 1991 (Bielecki) |
| style="background:{{party color|Independent}};"|
| |Andrzej Marcinkowski (acting) |25 November 1991 |5 December 1991 (Bielecki) |
| style="background:{{party color|Christian National Union}};"|
| |23 December 1991 |17 March 1993 (Olszewski), (Suchocka) |
| style="background:{{party color|Christian National Union}};"|
| |17 March 1993 |26 October 1993 (Suchocka) |
| style="background:{{party color|Social Democracy of Poland}};"|
|60px |SdRP |26 March 1993 |6 March 1995 |
| style="background:{{party color|Social Democracy of Poland}};"|
| |SdRP |6 March 1995 |7 February 1996 (Oleksy) |
| style="background:{{party color|Independent}};"|
|60px |7 February 1996 |31 October 1997 |
| style="background:{{party color|Freedom Union (Poland)}};"|
|60px |31 October 1997 |8 June 2000 (Buzek) |
| style="background:{{party color|Solidarity Electoral Action}};"|
|60px |Jerzy Buzek (acting) |8 June 2000 |12 June 2000 (Buzek) |
| style="background:{{party color|Law and Justice}};|
|60px |12 June 2000 |4 July 2001 (Buzek) |
| style="background:{{party color|Solidarity Electoral Action}};"|
|60px |4 July 2001 |19 October 2001 (Buzek) |
| style="background:{{party color|Independent}};"|
|60px |19 October 2001 |6 July 2002 (Miller) |
| style="background:{{party color|Democratic Left Alliance (Poland)}};"|
| |6 July 2002 |2 May 2004 (Miller) |
| style="background:{{party color|Independent}};"|
| |2 May 2004 |6 September 2004 (Belka I) |
| style="background:{{party color|Independent}};"|
|60px |6 September 2004 |31 October 2005 (Belka II) |
| ! style="background:{{party color|Law and Justice}};|
|60px |31 October 2005 |7 September 2007 |
| style="background:{{party color|Law and Justice}}; |
|60px |Jarosław Kaczyński (acting) |7 September 2007 |11 September 2007 |
| style="background:{{party color|Law and Justice}}; |
|60px |11 September 2007 |16 November 2007 |
| style="background:{{party color|Independent}};" |
|60px |16 November 2007 |21 January 2009 (Tusk I) |
| style="background:{{party color|Civic Platform}};"|
|60px |21 January 2009 |13 October 2009 (Tusk I) |
| style="background:{{party color|Civic Platform}};"|
|60px |13 October 2009 |18 November 2011 (Tusk I) |
| style="background:{{party color|Civic Platform}};"|
|60px |18 November 2011 |29 April 2013 (Tusk II) |
| style="background:{{party color|Civic Platform}};"|
|60px |29 April 2013 |22 September 2014 (Tusk II) |
| style="background:{{party color|Civic Platform}};"|
|60px |22 September 2014 |30 April 2015 (Kopacz) |
| style="background:{{party color|Civic Platform}};"|
|60px |Ewa Kopacz (acting) |30 April 2015 |4 May 2015 (Kopacz) |
| style="background:{{party color|Civic Platform}};"|
|60px |4 May 2015 |16 November 2015 (Kopacz) |
| style="background:{{party color|United Poland}};"|
|60px |United Poland / Sovereign Poland |16 November 2015 |27 November 2023 (Szydło), |
| style="background:{{party color|United Poland}};"|
|60px |27 November 2023 |13 December 2023 |
| style="background:{{party color|Independent}};" |
|60px |13 December 2023 |Present (Tusk III) |
Charity regulator
In Poland, the regulation of non-profit organisations is primarily governed by the Ministry of Justice. The Ministry of Justice, jointly with regional courts, administers the National Court Register. The National Court Register serves as the official register for businesses, professional organisations, non-profit foundations, public health institutions, and bankrupt debtors.