LEGAL BASIS OF CLASSIFIED INFORMATION PROTECTION IN POLAND

Abstract

Classified information protection from unauthorized persons is one of the most important factors which has a big influence on the national security. This article was written to present this problem and to define law regulations in Poland created for classified information protection purposes. It quotes definitions and other important implementation directives. The author began to analyze the problem starting with the year 1928 when the first document of interest was issued which allowed to present the very initial phase of classified information protection regulations. After World War the II in the different political reality a decree of 1949 on ‘State and service secret protection’ introduced classified information categories which functioned for over 62 years. Later new law regulations were introduced (acts, directives, instructions), which were supposed to improve the existing system of state and service secret protection. In result quite a lot of documents were given the top secret classification, many of them without a reason. The article ends with the presentation of the existing legal status, which is in force