Criminal Law and Personal Rights Protection
Criminal defense and protection of personal rights — from the first procedural act to judgment and its civil consequences.
The firm’s criminal practice focuses on cases where the criminal charge is connected to other areas of law — economic, civil, administrative, or international. Pure street-crime matters are rarer; more often these are cases at the interface of business activity, corporate-body liability, traffic accidents, or personal-rights protection following a publication.
Criminal defense
Representation at every stage — from the first procedural act in pretrial proceedings, through first-instance trial, appellate measures, cassation, to enforcement (early conditional release, electronic monitoring). The first decision in a criminal matter — whether to attend questioning alone, how to position oneself on the charges, whether to plead guilty — can be irreversible. That is why even early engagement of a defender carries weight disproportionate to later workload.
The practice covers economic offences (action to the detriment of the company, fraud, art. 296 of the Criminal Code and related cases), fiscal offences (KKS), traffic offences (accidents, driving while impaired), failure to file insolvency in time, board-member liability, and breaches of duties in companies.
Traffic accidents
Traffic accident cases typically have two parallel dimensions — criminal (perpetrator, qualification, sentence) and civil (victim’s claims, the perpetrator’s insurer). Representation on the perpetrator side covers criminal defense (including challenging expert findings, dynamics, and assessment of intoxication) and coordination with the civil and insurance proceedings.
On the victim’s side — appearing as auxiliary prosecutor in criminal proceedings and pursuing a separate civil compensation action. The level of claim should follow real assessment of damage — and there the medical record is decisive (see medical law).
Cases with an international element
A recurring type involves Polish nationals living abroad (EAW proceedings, extradition) and foreigners with cases in Poland. Surrender proceedings under the European Arrest Warrant have strict deadlines and limited refusal grounds — they require immediate response.
For international economic offences, cooperation with counsel in other jurisdictions allows the defense line to be coordinated where a person is prosecuted in parallel in several States.
Personal rights protection
The second strand of the practice is the defense of personal rights — most often reputation, privacy, image — impaired in traditional media, on the internet, and in social media. Representation covers cease-and-desist letters, press-law corrections, actions for cessation and compensation, and steps against online platforms in notice-and-action and GDPR modes.
Both claimants (persons impaired by a publication) and defendants — including journalists, editorial offices, and online creators defending against personal-rights claims — are represented. The boundary between permissible criticism and an actionable infringement is largely casuistic and requires command of current case law.
- 01 You have received a summons for questioning as a witness, suspect, or defendant.
- 02 Your company or you as a board member face charges for action to the detriment of the company, fiscal offences, or breach of duties.
- 03 You have been involved in a road traffic accident.
- 04 You are the victim of a crime and wish to exercise the rights of an auxiliary prosecutor.
- 05 Your reputation, privacy, or image has been impaired by a media or online publication.
- 06 You have received a personal-rights claim and need to assess defense strategy.
- 01
First analysis
Review of the case file, identification of the procedural stage and key evidence. For urgent matters — immediate response before the first procedural act.
- 02
Defense strategy
Choice of defense line, evidentiary motions, procedural challenges. In economic cases — parallel assessment of civil and indemnification risk.
- 03
Procedure
Representation in pre-trial and trial proceedings at every stage. Motions for release from pretrial detention, appellate measures, requalification.
- 04
Judgment and consequences
Appellate measures (appeal, cassation). Motions for suspension, electronic monitoring, early conditional release. Advice on civil and administrative consequences of conviction.
The criminal practice also covers cases with an international element — European Arrest Warrant (EAW), extradition, mutual legal assistance, transnational economic-crime proceedings. In personal-rights matters online, jurisdiction and enforceability of the order in the State of the perpetrator or platform administrator are decisive.
I have been summoned for questioning. Do I need a lawyer?
Yes — regardless of status (witness, suspect, defendant). First statements carry disproportionate weight in subsequent proceedings, and changing them later requires justification. As a suspect, the presence of a defender is a procedural guarantee.
What is electronic monitoring and when is it ordered?
Electronic monitoring (the Electronic Surveillance System) is a way of serving a custodial sentence outside prison, with electronic monitoring of location. Available for sentences up to 1.5 years (up to 3 years from 2022/2023 for some offences), subject to formal conditions and a positive criminological prognosis.
How does the European Arrest Warrant work?
The EAW is a mutual cooperation instrument between EU States — a court in one State requests another State to surrender a wanted person. The executing court's decision rests on limited grounds for refusal. Representation at this stage requires fast action — deadlines are strict.
A media publication damages my reputation — what can I do?
One can seek a press-law correction, an order to cease the infringement, removal of its effects, compensation, and publication of a statement. The choice depends on the medium, the content, and the client's goal. Online there are also notice-and-action paths against platforms.
Can I claim compensation for a privacy breach online?
Yes. A breach of privacy and image can ground a personal-rights claim. Depending on circumstances, GDPR claims (against the controller) and a complaint to the prosecutor for defamation or stalking may also be available.