Abstract:
The paper analyses the statement of reasons forms (templates) introduced pursuant to Art. 99a of the Code of Criminal Procedure. According to the legislator, the forms are to considerably increase the efficiency of the system of justice as far as criminal cases are concerned.
The author evaluates the justifiability of the forms from the perspective of the goals defined in the explanatory statement of the Act on the Amendment of the Code of Criminal Procedure and Certain Other Acts dated 19th of July, 2019 (Journal of Laws 2019, Item 1694), as well as the possible implications resulting from the adopted structure thereof. In particular, he highlights the revolutionary nature of the changes which could fall beyond the aspects of law application but, paradoxically, could also influence the legal science, e.g. in terms of reducing the capability to conduct empirical analyses of criminal case rulings.
Nevertheless, the overall evaluation of the changes is positive, since the to-date practice of justifying criminal case rulings has been criticized mainly because of excessive wordiness of statements of reasons.