Published: 2025-12-30

Admissibility and limits of citizen capture

Łukasz Wdowczyk
"Młody Jurysta" Czasopismo Studentów i Doktorantów Wydziału Prawa i Administracji UKSW
Section: Artykuły
https://doi.org/10.21697/mj.16490

Abstract

The article addresses the issue of the admissibility and limits of the application of the institution of citizen’s arrest under Polish criminal procedural law. It analyzes the relationship between this institution and the constitutional right to personal liberty, emphasizing its exceptional and subsidiary nature. The author discusses the prerequisites set out in Article 243 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, such as “flagrante delicto” and “immediate pursuit,” and highlights practical and interpretative challenges arising from the lack of legal definitions and vague terminology. Particular attention is given to the limits of using physical force and the potential civil and criminal liability of individuals performing the arrest. The conclusion includes a proposal to clarify statutory regulations ensuring legal protection for both those being apprehended and citizens acting in the interest of public order.

Keywords:

citizen’s arrest, flagrante delicto, immediate pursuit

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Citation rules

Wdowczyk, Łukasz. (2025). Admissibility and limits of citizen capture. "Młody Jurysta" Czasopismo Studentów I Doktorantów Wydziału Prawa I Administracji UKSW, (2), 76–94. https://doi.org/10.21697/mj.16490

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