The Rule of Law: idea of a democratic state of law or legal corruption?

The article presents multi-threaded and critical issues concerning the broad perception and understanding of the rule of law in decision-making processes tied to the exercise of public authority. At the beginning, attention is drawn to the fact that ongoing discussions and disputes on the rule of law, which have been conducted for five years, focus on selected problematic aspects, and come down only to the perception of threats to the independence of the Polish judiciary. Further, the paper discusses the essence of the rule of law in the theory of Polish law (Article 2 of the Constitution of the Republic of Poland) and clarifies the meaning of the rule of law in provisions of the Community Law which relate to values listed in Article 2 of the EU Treaty. The rule of law is also examined in the context of decision-making processes. The paper presents the essence and objectives of legal corruption, whereas – in conclusions – it formulates 10 general and universal attributes of the rule of law related to management practices. These attributes bring us closer to the proper understanding of the essence of unpunished forms of corruption. Finally, it is explained that current discussions about the rule of law are connected to the judgment of the Court of Justice of the European Union from 2 March 2021, which creates legal structures that allow domestic courts to ignore the Polish constitutional order.

Keywords: rule of law, legal corruption, constitutional values, citizens’ rights, European Union, polish judiciary, constitutional order, internal security