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Special Courts



Special Courts (Polish Sądy Specjalne) were the underground courts organized by the Polish Government in Exile during World War II in occupied Poland. The courts determined punishments for the citizens of Poland who were subject to the Polish law before the war.

After the Polish Defense War of 1939. the German authorities of the General Government mobilized all the pre-war Polish policemen to the German service. The so-called Navy-Blue Police (Policja granatowa, nicknamed after the colour of their uniforms) were used as an auxiliary unit of the Gestapo and Kripo, yet they had no means of executing law and order in the occupied country. At the same time, the German police forces and courts were more interested in persecution of Jews and members of Polish intelligentsia and underground rather than common criminals.

First underground, ad hoc courts were created alongside some of the first Polish resistance organizations as early as in 1939. At first, they were purely military, concerned only with the cases that would fall under military law (such as treason). On April 16, 1940, the Polish Government in Exile in London decided that the underground Polish courts be created for prosecution of criminals, traitors, informants and collaborators. The structure and law regulating those courts were mostly finalized around 1942.


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