The renunciation of inheritance before the consul : commentary on the decision of the Supreme Court of 9 January 2015 (V CSK 51/14)

In the judgement of 9th January 2015 (V CSK 51/14) the Polish Supreme Court created the ban for the notarial activity of foreign consular officers. A person entitled to the succession has made declarations concerning the waiver of the succession before foreign consul acting as an authority of the State which is dealing with the succession. In the same time Polish courts had parallel jurisdiction on succession matters in this case. The waiver-declaration of the succession has not been recognized by Polish judges. Such limitation of consular functions has no ground neither in Polish regulations nor in international consular law rules. Fortunately the criticized order has only historical value today. After the application of Regulation (EU) No 650/2012 (of the European Parliament and of the Council of 4 July 2012 on jurisdiction, applicable law, recognition and enforcement of decisions and acceptance and enforcement of authentic instruments in matters of succession and on the creation of a European Certificate of Succession) in EU-Member Countries (it is applied to the succession of persons who die on or after 17 August 2015) the possibility of its influence on future Polish court's practice in succession cases is minimal.