Fields of research

The Poznań Centre for Family Law and Children’s Rights is a unit of the Department of Research on Legal Institutions in Poznań. It was established in 1973.

The former Heads of the Centre, in chronological order, were Prof. Dr Hab. Zbigniew Radwański and Prof. Dr Hab. Tadeusz Smyczyński. Currently, this position is held by a professor of the ILS–PAS, Dr. Hab. Marek Andrzejewski.

In 1979, at the behest of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Dr Hab. Tadeusz Smyczyński wrote for the Centre a draft of the Convention on the Rights of the Child. This document became the basis for further work that led to the adoption of the Convention by the General Assembly of the United Nations on 22 November 1989. The analysis of the Convention on the Rights of the Child and its impact on domestic and international law is one of the main tasks of the Centre.

The research carried out in the Centre for Family Law and Children’s Rights concentrates on family law – a classic section of civil law. This covers the institution of marriage, substitute custody, adoption, property relations in a family (including issues related to inheritance law), protection of the rights of a child (also in the context of international and European standards) and the legal capacity of individuals. In addition, the interests of the Centre also relate to procedural issues and the operation of family courts, as well as public administrative bodies and non-governmental organisations which influence the broader field of family law.

Members of the Centre are involved in education and they serve as experts and editors (e.g., Prof. Andrzejewski is an editor of [Zeszyty Naukowe] Acta Iuris Stetinensis).

Scientific grants

Under the leadership of Prof. Andrzejewski, a team of colleagues from other universities and other departments of the Institute, is undertaking the scientific grant entitled ‘The minor child, parents and the state: Contemporary Polish legal conditions for implementing the principles of the child’s best interests and participation (National Science Centre, UMO-2015/19/B/HS5/03014, realization 2016-2019)’.

The concept of this project is based on exploring the following research fields:

• legal relations between children and parents in light of contemporary adoption law
• the legal situation of minor parents;
• contact with children in cases where the parents do not live together;
• the legal situation of a minor child in the event of their parents’ divorce;
• interference with parental authority;
• custody of a minor and educational issues;
• legal relations between parents, children and the state in medical issues;
• the child as a victim of domestic violence; and
• the child in foster care.