Differences in court hearings in Poland and America

Abstract or Introduction

This paper is going to demonstrate the differences between Polish and American judicial hearings. It points out that the most visible differences, such as: codification of continental law visible primarily in the practice of law by lawyers and the differences on the basis of procedural law.

In the first chapter, there is described Polish and the American legal system. Each set of legal systems was formed in the different conditions under the influence of different factors. It was a natural process. Each of the systems is optimal for the social, economic and historical environment in which it operates. Then, the advantages and disadvantages of both models (the common law, civil law) are pointed out. The second chapter describes the case-law of Polish and the US courts. This section describes in detail the case of an American O. J. Simpson, accused of a double murder. In the third chapter, there is indicated a judicial practice in Polish and American judicial system. Example of American jurisprudence is shown by the case “Roe versus Wade". This chapter also includes the differences in the terminology used in legal language and cultural differences in the field of customs and legal communication styles.