Evolution of the Polish Criminal Justice System After World War Two- An Overview

143 Stanislaw Frankowski and Andrzej Wasek1 Evolution of the Polish Criminal Justice System After World War Two - An Overview 1. INTRODUCTION In June 1989, opposition forces led by the Trade Union Solidarity won a spectacular electoral victory by gaining a majority in the two chambers (Seym and Senat) of the Polish National Assembly (hereinafter Parliament). Since the Polish Communist Party had ruled the country with an iron fist for 45 years, the opposition's total triumph at the ballot box was under- standably a breathtaking event not just for the citizens of Poland, but for the entire world community. Tadeusz