Keywords
Poland
defence lawyers
authoritarian regimes
1956 Poznań trials
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Abstract
An analysis of the life account of the Polish defence lawyer Stanisław Hejmowski (1900–1969), who made a mark in the first national war crimes trial in 1946 and later in the Poznań June trials of 1956, reminds us of how defence lawyering strategies in high profile cases are born. This paper’s findings draw on his recently discovered private personal archive and case notes, which have hitherto not been in the public domain. The investigation shows that Hejmowski’s line of action exemplifies a strategy through which a civil lawyer may approach large-scale atrocities and crimes – but as a criminal defence lawyer. Through this analysis and a consideration of an unconventional figure we may hope to appreciate what legal reasoning signifies in authoritarian states.
Funding
The paper is a result of the research funded by Socio-Legal Studies Association (UK), SLSA 2021 Small Grants Award.
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