PART XII
Procedure in criminal cases in international relations

Chapter 61
Immunities of persons on the staff of the diplomatic missions and consular offices of foreign states


Article 578. The jurisdiction of Polish criminal courts shall not extend to :


(1) the heads of diplomatic missions of foreign states accredited in the Republic of Poland,
(2) persons on the diplomatic staff of such missions,
(3) persons on the administrative and technical staff of such missions,
(4) members of the families of the persons listed in subsections (1) through (3), if they are members of their households, and
(5) other persons granted diplomatic immunity pursuant to statutes, agreements, or universally acknowledged international custom.

Article 579. § 1. The jurisdiction of the Polish criminal courts shall not extend to the following persons, to the extent of their actions in the conduct and performance of official duties :

(1) the heads of consular offices and other consular officials of foreign states, and
(2) other persons accorded similar status pursuant to agreements or universally acknowledged international custom.

§ 2. The head of a consular office and other consular officials of foreign states can be subject to arrest or preventive detention only if they are charged with the commission of a felony. In the event of such arrest or preventive detention the Minister of Foreign Affairs shall be promptly notified.

§ 3. In addition to the case specified in § 2 such persons may be deprived of their liberty only pursuant to a valid and final judgement of a Polish court.

Article 580. § 1. Articles 578 and 579 shall not be applied in the special case, in which the sending State explicitly waives the immunity granted to the person referred to in these provisions.

§ 2. As to officials of international organisations who had been granted immunity, the waiver described in § 1, must be effected by the appropriate international organisation.

Article 581. § 1. The persons listed in Article 578 shall not be obligated to testify as witnesses or to appear as experts or interpreters; they may, however, be requested to give their consent to testify or to appear in the capacity of experts or interpreters.

§ 2. In the event that the consent referred to in § 1, is given, the summons served on these persons shall not include the warning on measures of coercion ; if they fail to appear when summoned or refuse to testify, these measures shall not be applied to them.

Article 582. § 1. Article 579 shall be applied accordingly to persons listed in Article 581, if the material circumstances which their testimony or opinions are to concern, are connected with the performance by these persons of their official or professional functions, and with other functions, on the principle of reciprocity.

§ 2. The persons listed in Articles 578 and 579 shall not be obligated to surrender correspondence or documents connected with such functions.

Article 583. § 1. The premises of a diplomatic mission may be searched only after consent has been obtained from the head of such a mission or from a person temporarily acting in his capacity.

§ 2. The consent of a consular office or of a person temporarily acting in his capacity, or of the head of the diplomatic mission shall be necessary to conduct a search of the premises of a consular office.

Article 584. Articles 578 through 583 shall not be applicable to persons listed therein, if such persons are Polish nationals or have their permanent residence in Poland.

PART XII
Procedure in criminal cases in international relations

Chapter 62
Judicial assistance and service of documents in criminal cases

Article 589. § 1. A witness or expert who is not a Polish national and who, when summoned from abroad, appears voluntarily before the court, cannot be prosecuted or arrested, or put under preventive detention either by reason of an offence relevant to the criminal proceedings, or of any other offence committed before he crossed the Polish border. The penalty imposed for such offence may not be executed with respect to him.

§ 2. Such a witness or expert shall forfeit the protection provided by § 1, if he fails to leave the territory of the Republic of Poland, although being able to do so within seven days from the day on which the court announces to him that his presence is no longer necessary.

§ 3. Witnesses or experts summoned from abroad shall be entitled to have the costs of their fare and stay reimbursed to them, and shall be compensated for lost wages; in addition, an expert shall be entitled to a fee for the opinion he has issued.

§ 4. The summons served on a witness or expert permanently residing abroad shall include a notice of the contents of § 1 through 3, and it shall not contain a warning on measures of coercion in the event of a failure to appear.