Acta Iuris Stetinensis

The study is to assess the degree of implementation of the principle of adequate vacatio legis in the Polish parliamentary practice in the period of 2011–2021. The issue discussed is very important and up-to-date, especially from the point of view of the basic functions to be performed by the legal institution of vacatio legis. The above-mentioned issue is particularly important in the case of laws, which differently from the existing regulations, shape the legal situations of many entities and in the light of the assertion of the importance of the principle of adequate vacatio legis for human rights. The aim of the study required analysing the normative situation regarding applicable options for the entry of legislation into force, and thus its vacatio legis, the case law of the Polish Constitutional Tribunal, the positions of legal scholars in the field, as well as the content of the provisions on entry into force included in the acts adopted in the 7th and 8th terms of office of the Sejm of the Republic of Poland and several months of the 9th term. To the extent necessary to illustrate the statements put forward, the course of the legislative process itself has also been analysed, including parliamentary speeches and debates in parliamentary committees. The statistical data that had been collected, allowed the author to identify the most frequently used options of entry into force and thus to determine the periods of their vacatio legis. The above provided material to conclude that the degree of implementation of the principle of adequate vacatio legis in the Polish parliamentary practice during the period in question can hardly be considered sufficient, not only when there is no adjustment period at all or when the entry into force takes place on the day following the date of publication, but also when the law addressees are allowed a little more time (even more than the minimum period of 14 days). While there are some positive signs that the need for rational law-making is perceived, these are not strong enough to overcome the weaknesses of the parliamentary procedure, which make the degree of implementation of the principle of adequate vacatio legis not optimal. These include: insufficiently convincing and too vague justifications for the proposed dates of entry into force for draft laws; insufficient attention to the views of other entities with more knowledge of what periods are needed for the laws to enter into force; adopting too optimistic periods for the entry into force of laws with a calendar date, the late announcement of which results in a shortening of the assumed period of vacatio legis or even a retroactive effect; abuse of the possibility to make changes to the provisions of the act during the adjustment period and use the dates of vacatio legis for the accomplishment of ad hoc political objectives. The sensitivity to the need to perform the basic functions of the vacatio legis, which include learning about the new law and enabling adaptation to the new legal regulations, has also become weaker and weaker.