An assault on a public official in the penal code of 1997 against the background of other normative code solutions in Poland in the 20th century – an outline of the issues

The purpose of this publication is to show different rights protected by law regarding the crime of assault on public officials in various criminal law code solutions in Poland in the 20th century.To achieve the research objectives, we used a comparative-normative method to examine the shape of specific criminal provisions in Poland.The study's results found differences between undemocratic and democratic system, and confirmed that criminal law, in terms of protection of state institutions, is a reflection of the political system of the state.The article presents issues regarding an assault on a public official under the provisions of the legal system in Poland.Different definitions and interpretations of the term 'public official' resulting from the changes in the political system and the law of the country required appropriate legal solutions in the Penal Code.The process of comprehensive systematisation of provisions in the field of substantive criminal law started with the Penal Code of 1932, although it did not include the legal definition of the concept of a public official.The current act of June 6, 1997 and its subsequent amendments introduced a more precise distinction and legal instruments for penalising an assault on a public official.