<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">

<p>The Republic of Poland is one of the European Union countries that have not yet implemented Directive (EU) 2019/1937 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 23 October 2019 on the protection of persons reporting breaches of EU law (Journal of Laws EC L 305/17 of November 26, 2019). Even though signalling illegal acts is a more and more common occurrence and the social perception of such behaviours is also changing, the “whistleblowers” are not under any legal protection in Poland. In the Sejm of the 9th Term of office, legislative work is underway to pass the act on the protection of persons reporting violations of the law. This will be a legal act containing comprehensive legal protection of whistleblowers. In hereby publication the author focuses on presenting the role of whistleblowers in preventing law violations by employers in the current legal state. In the next part, the above-mentioned draft act is analyzed in terms of provisions ensuring the protection of persons who disclose irregularities. Numerous tragic incidents which could have been avoided if people that were aware of irregularities could safely reveal the information are evidence of how needed an act on whistleblower protection is. The author cites examples of the sinking of the MF Herald of Free Enterprise ferry and the Deepwater Horizon platform as well as the methane explosion in the Halemba mine in Ruda Śląska.</p>
</abstract>

The Republic of Poland is one of the European Union countries that have not yet implemented Directive (EU) 2019/1937 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 23 October 2019 on the protection of persons reporting breaches of EU law (Journal of Laws EC L 305/17 of November 26, 2019). Even though signalling illegal acts is a more and more common occurrence and the social perception of such behaviours is also changing, the “whistleblowers” are not under any legal protection in Poland. In the Sejm of the 9th Term of office, legislative work is underway to pass the act on the protection of persons reporting violations of the law. This will be a legal act containing comprehensive legal protection of whistleblowers. In hereby publication the author focuses on presenting the role of whistleblowers in preventing law violations by employers in the current legal state. In the next part, the above-mentioned draft act is analyzed in terms of provisions ensuring the protection of persons who disclose irregularities. Numerous tragic incidents which could have been avoided if people that were aware of irregularities could safely reveal the information are evidence of how needed an act on whistleblower protection is. The author cites examples of the sinking of the MF Herald of Free Enterprise ferry and the Deepwater Horizon platform as well as the methane explosion in the Halemba mine in Ruda Śląska.

The (Legal) Status of a Whistleblower in Poland. Selected Issues

University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn

Studies in Logic, Grammar and Rhetoric

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

{"article-title":"The (Legal) Status of a Whistleblower in Poland. Selected Issues"}

The Republic of Poland is one of the European Union countries that have not yet implemented Directive (EU) 2019/1937 of the European Parliament and of the...

The (Legal) Status of a Whistleblower in Poland. Selected Issues

Published Online: Dec 29, 2023

Page range: 573 - 588

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/slgr-2023-0033

Keywords
whistleblower, whistleblower protection, bill, labor code, criminal sanctions

© 2023 Krystyna Ziółkowska, published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

The (Legal) Status of a Whistleblower in Poland. Selected Issues

Published Online: Dec 29, 2023

Page range: 573 - 588

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/slgr-2023-0033

Keywordswhistleblower, whistleblower protection, bill, labor code, criminal sanctions

© 2023 Krystyna Ziółkowska, published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Keywords
whistleblower, whistleblower protection, bill, labor code, criminal sanctions