The State Commission to Investigate Russian Influence and the Universal Right to Public Information

Abstract

The entry into force of the Act of 14 April 2023 on the State Commission for the Investigation of Russian Influence on the Internal Security of the Republic of Poland in the Years 2007–2022 was met with huge criticism not only from politicians from the camp opposing the ruling party but also from average individuals. It was emphasized that these regulations violate the universal right to information because the activities of the State Commission in the light of the regulations in question are not covered by full transparency. This is even though the legislator has explicitly classified it as a public authority. The main objective of the article is to compare the status, organization, and functioning of the authority with the subjective and objective premises for making public information available, and then to determine whether the legislator intended to shape a new restriction on access to information, or whether these regulations can be included in the group of separate provisions to which the Act of 6 September 2001 on access to public information gives priority to application.