Commissioner for Human Rights

Commissioner for Human Rights is the constitutional authority for legal control and protection. In his activities, the Commissioner is integral and independent from other state authorities.

The Commissioner acts pursuant to the Constitution of the Republic of Poland and the Commissioner for Human Rights Act of 15 July 1987. The Commissioner is appointed by the Sejm and approved by the Senate for a 5 -year term of office.
The Commissioner for Human Rights safeguards human and civic freedoms and rights specified in the Constitution and other legal acts. In order to fulfill this task the Commissioner investigates whether actions undertaken or abandoned by the entities, organizations or institutions obliged to observe and implement human and citizen rights and freedoms have not led to infringement of the law or the principles of social coexistence and justice, and undertakes appropriate measures.

Commissioner for Rights Defender is assisted by the Office of the Commissioner for Human Rights.

Prof. Marcin Wiącek

Commissioner for Human Rights VIII term

Marcin Wiącek was born on 28 March 1982 in Mińsk Mazowiecki. He is a professor of the University of Warsaw, and holds the degree of habilitated doctor in law. He is the head of the Human Rights Department of the Faculty of Law and Administration of the University of Warsaw. His areas of specialty are constitutional law and human rights. 

He graduated from the Faculty of Law and Administration of the University of Warsaw as well as the Center for American Law (2006). In 2009, he defended his doctoral dissertation regarding a court’s question of law to the Constitutional Tribunal. Also in that year, he became a member of the Faculty of Law and Administration of the University of Warsaw. 

In 2013, he was awarded the degree of habilitated doctor, after passing the post-doctoral degree examination and defending his dissertation on the possibility of application of the constitutional regulations, by courts and the Constitutional Tribunal, in cases originating in the post-war period. 

Since 2019, he has been a professor at the University of Warsaw. In 2003–2007 he worked in the Constitutional Tribunal. Since 2007, he has been employed at the Jurisprudence Division of the Supreme Administrative Court. In 2014–2018, he was a member of the Prime Minister’s Legislative Council. In 2014–2016, he was responsible for legislative applications at the Government Legislation Center. He was also a member of the National Committee on Spatial Planning and Architecture. Member of the Research Centre on Legal Aspects of Blockchain Technology, operating within the Faculty of Law and Administration of the University of Warsaw. 

Author of over one hundred scientific publications, in particular on constitutional law, constitutional courts, administrative courts and human rights protection. Participant of numerous scientific conferences, including international ones.

He has cooperated as an expert with numerous public bodies, including the Chancellery of the President of the Republic of Poland, the Sejm Bureau of Research, the Office of Commissioner for Human Rights, the Government Legislation Center, the Supreme Audit Office, the National Council of the Judiciary, the Ministry of Justice, the Ministry of Development, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, the Ministry of the State Treasury, the Ministry of Finance, the Municipal Office of Warsaw and the Marshal of the Mazowieckie Voivodeship. 

He has been awarded the Warsaw Order of Merit by the Warsaw City Council, and the “I remember - I help” medal by the Association of Warsaw Insurgents and the Foundation for the Remembrance of the Warsaw Uprising Heroes. 

He speaks English and French.