Government Mandates Stricter Data Disclosure for Witnesses

The Council of Ministers has approved a legislative proposal requiring witnesses in criminal proceedings to provide additional personal data, including PESEL numbers, to streamline judicial processes and improve electronic communication.

New Reporting Requirements

The government has adopted a draft amendment to the Code of Criminal Procedure and the E-delivery Act. Witnesses will now be legally required to provide a PESEL number, a telephone number, and an email address during their testimony.

Individuals who do not possess a PESEL number will be required to provide their identity document number along with the name of the issuing authority.

Efficiency in Judicial Proceedings

The legislative changes aim to facilitate communication with witnesses regarding the scheduling of procedural actions. The inclusion of the PESEL number is intended to accelerate the identification process and simplify the retrieval of documentation necessary for specific cases.

New regulations also stipulate that the data collected from witnesses must be subject to enhanced protection measures.

Current Disclosure Standards

Under existing regulations, witnesses are already required to provide their full name, age, and occupation. They must also disclose any prior convictions for perjury and clarify their relationship to the parties involved in the proceedings, including any familial ties.

The court also continues to establish the witness’s place of residence as part of the formal record.

Legislative Path Forward

To enter into force, the amendment must be passed by both the Sejm and the Senate and subsequently signed by the President. The new provisions are scheduled to take effect 14 days following their publication in the Journal of Laws.