ABSTRACT
At present three types of courts administer justice in Poland, namely: the Supreme Court (SC), courts of ordinary jurisdiction and special courts. The Supreme Administrative Court (SAC) is most important among the special courts. The Constitutional Tribunal (CT) and The Tribunal of State function outside the system of courts. The role of precedent began to be discussed as early as the 1950s when, in Poland just as in the other communist countries, guidelines for administration of justice and judicial practice were introduced. Poland and other post-communist states are at the stage of deep political and economic reforms. Poland's opening to the West after the collapse of communism has also undoubtedly opened the Polish legal system to ideas and values characteristic of the political and legal culture of the West. Legal opinions and views expressed only in justification of a judicial decision in respect of their importance are distinctly subordinate to the thesis contained in the conclusion.
