From May to Bereza: A Legal Nihilism in the Political and Legal Practice of the Sanation Camp 1926–1935

Abstract

The article is an attempt to outline the manifestations of the legal and political system’s nihilism, the occurrence of which the author to some extent attributes to the policy of the Piłsudski political camp after 1926. The subject of the study is to determine the attitude of the leading activists of the Sanation camp to the political system practice and legal practice, seen for the purposes of this thesis as a certain set of actions contra legem and praeter legem in relation to the legal system in force. The author also analyzes the implications of J. Piłsudski’s lack of a concrete, in formal and legal terms, political program on the attitude of the Sanation political camp in relation to the application of law law and on the legal security. The legal system turned out to be a factor significantly hindering the realization of the post-May camp’s plans as well as the effectiveness of the political system’s initiatives undertaken by the Piłsudski political camp. The main reason for the post-May camp’s frequent recourse to activities that are to some extent attributed to the legal or political system’s nihilism was the lack of deeper political intentions of the victor of the May Coup d’État.

Keywords

• nihilizm prawny
• piłsudski
• sanacja
• zamach majowy
• bezpieczeństwo prawne