The Exercise of the Right to a Fair Trial in the Era of the Covid-19 Pandemic

At the beginning of 2020, the Polish justice system faced an unprecedented challenge due to the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. The need to reduce face-to-face contact, limit the activities of public institutions and introduce remote work forced the legislator to fundamentally restructure the model of civil proceedings. This book describes the changes to the law introduced between 2020 and 2024 in the field of civil proceedings, focusing on the COVID-19 Special Act. The research objective was to analyse the provisions introduced in the COVID-19 Special Act and to verify whether they comply with the standard of a fair trial under the Polish Constitution, the ECHR and the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the EU. The aim of the study was also to analyse the practice of application of the discussed institutions by the courts and to assess whether they should become a permanent part of Polish law after the pandemic, and under what conditions.

Maciej Świder is a Doctor of Law and a specialist in Polish civil procedure. He has authored publications on civil procedure, particularly focusing on the right to a fair trial. He serves as a judge at the District Court for Kraków-Śródmieście in Kraków.