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Dodano: 8 lutego 2022, Opublikował(a): Wioleta Żochowska Podmiot udostępniający informację: Sąd Okręgowy w Warszawie Osoba, która wytworzyła informację: Sędzia Tomasz Julian Grochowicz; Data wytworzenia informacji: 10 stycznia 2022

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The case of the controversial Twitter post about Andrzej Duda, President of the Republic of Poland

Case Law

Country

Poland

Country Location

Latitude: 52.410002208286514

Longitude: 19.49853336811064

Country Location (linked Case Law): Poland

Decision Date: Jan 10, 2022

Case Status: Closed

Case Outcome (Procedural)

Dismissed
Motion Denied

Case Outcome (Disposition)

Injunction, Order, or Motion Denied/Vacated

Keywords

Social Media

Judicial Body: First Instance Court

Court Name: District Court in Warsaw, VIII Criminal Division in Poland

Case Number: Sygn. Akt VIII K 51/21

Case Summary: The District Court in Warsaw, VIII Criminal Division in Poland discontinued the criminal proceedings against a writer charged with insulting the President. In a Facebook post, the writer described the President as “a retard” (debil), and the prosecutor sought the initiation of criminal charges. The Court accepted that the writer had used an offensive word but stressed that the limit of acceptable criticism of politicians is wider than of non-public officials. It held that there is a right to criticise the actions of public authorities and found that the condition for the criminal charge – that there has been social harm – was not met.

Case Significance: By reaffirming that the limits of acceptable criticism are wider where a politician is concerned, this judgment aligns with the standards of the case law of the European Court of Human Rights and that politicians – by their social role – must therefore tolerate a higher level of criticism than ordinary citizens.

This case did not set a binding or persuasive precedent either within or outside its jurisdiction. The significance of this case is undetermined at this point in time.

Related Caselaw (self)

Poland

Source URL: Global Freedom of Expression

Collection

CIPIT
Columbia

Date Updated: Oct 30, 2023

Primary Documents

The case of the controversial Twitter post about Andrzej Duda, President of the Republic of Poland .pdf
Polish
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CYRILLA: Global Digital Rights Law

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The case of the controversial Twitter post about Andrzej Duda, President of the Republic of Poland

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