Kryteria rozgraniczania przestępstw i wykroczeń

The aim of this article is to defi ne boundaries between crime and misdemeanours. The reference point for discussion are provisions of the Codes as well as out of them. First discussed part presents three main European models of responsibility for the misdemeanours (French, Austrian and German) and stages of development of the law on misdemeanours in Poland. The second part concerns strict criteria for delimiting areas of crime and delinquency. Particular attention is given to the following issues: decision-making body, breach or threat different to the penalty, the adjudicating authority, violating the legal interests, criminal threats and the degree of social harm. One of the conclusions of the thesis is the absence of the present possible solutions to the dispute over the qualitative or quantitative difference between the offenses