The judiciary system in the Second Republic of Poland (1917-1939) : organisational assumptions, structures, functioning

The standardisation of legal provisions regulating the functioning of the judiciary system was one of the key challenges faced by the Second Republic of Poland at the dawn of its independence. The law that had been created by the partitioners was still used in the first years of interwar Poland. A regulation uniform for the whole country: the Law on Common Courts Organisation, had not entered into force until 1929. Under that regulation, women could enter the profession of judge for the first time in the country’s history. This must be recognized as one of the greatest achievements of interwar Poland, whereas one of its significant failures were the low salaries that hindered the functioning of the courts. Judges had protested against that throughout the interwar period, but they did not manage to gain any considerable pay increase. The 1930s also saw a dispute over judicial independence. The adherents of Józef Piłsudski, who ruled Poland at the time, tried to gain control over the judiciary system, which was perceived by the majority of judges as an attempt to limit their rights. Despite those turbulences, the assessment of actions taken in regard to the judiciary system in the interwar period should be positive. The functioning of the courts achieved a definitely higher level compared to the time before World War I.