President Karol Nawrocki signed a penal procedure code amendment, transferring corruption cases of foreign public officials from district to regional courts.
District Courts Lose Foreign Corruption Cases
President Karol Nawrocki has signed an amendment to the Penal Procedure Code that alters how corruption cases involving foreign public officials, whether abroad or within international organizations, are handled. This includes both the offering and acceptance of bribes.
Under the new regulations, these types of proceedings will be assigned to regional courts from the first instance. Previously, district courts handled these cases. The justification for the change states, “Adjudicating responsibility for the aforementioned acts should be transferred to judges with generally greater professional and life experience, and the examination of appeals against such verdicts – to appellate courts.”
Statistics: Seven Convictions in Four Years
The authors of the changes highlighted that proceedings concerning foreign public officials are typically exceptional and precedential, especially in the context of international economic relations. The mere involvement of a foreign official lends the case particular weight.
Statistics, however, indicate such cases are rare. Between 2021 and 2024, over 3,900 individuals were convicted in Poland for corruption offenses related to official activities, but only seven cases involved foreign public officials.
New Rules Not Retroactive
The new provisions will not apply to proceedings already underway; these will continue under the existing rules. The Ministry of Justice indicated that the reform responds to recommendations from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and aims to improve Poland’s perception as a country effectively combating corruption in international trade.
The amendment was adopted by the Sejm in late March and subsequently approved by the Senate in April. The regulations will take effect 14 days after the law’s publication.