Instruments of Public Law: Digital Transformation during the Pandemic

The Covid 19 pandemic has revealed the need to verify the existing principles of functioning of public authorities, in relation to various decision-making processes, both at the conceptual level and at law implementation. The action of the legislator and public administration towards the society and the economy is conducted using peculiar instruments to control the public administration system. These instruments are likely to be of a public or private law nature. This book takes a comparative approach to examine the issues related to digital transformation in the times of a pandemic regarding the use of public-law instruments in Poland and the wider European context. In particular, the research aims to identify what stage the development of digital solutions in the state's organization and its authorities has reached, including the organization of public administration; what the has pandemic changed. Exploring the concepts of digital transformation, pandemic and public-law instruments, it provides an analysis of European and national public-law instruments using digital solutions, security and cybersecurity during a pandemic, and concrete issues such as public administration, health protection and social security, economic activity and the system of public finances, and education during the pandemic is performed. Establishing whether particular solutions are durable and to what extent they create a certain standard of response to a threat, it makes recommendations for determining which of the existing solutions is useful for the functioning of the state and its organs and facilitates the performance of their tasks.

Irena Lipowicz is Full Professor in Law at Cardinal Stefan Wyszyński University in Warsaw, Poland. Ombudsman in Poland in 2010–2015, Honorary Doctor of the Osnabrück University. Member of the Board of the Association of the European Public Law SIPE. Member of the United Nations University Council (UNU) 2016–2018 and Ombudsman in 2010–2015, Polish ambassador in Austria in 2000–2004.

Grażyna Szpor is Full Professor in Law at Cardinal Stefan Wyszyński University in Warsaw, Poland. Vice-president of the Sectoral Council for Telecommunications and Cybersecurity Competencies. Scientific editor of the 12-volume monograph "Openness and its limitations" (C.H. Beck Warsaw, 2013–2016) and 11 volumes of the "Internet" series (C.H. Beck, Warsaw 2011–2021).

Aleksandra Syryt is Assistant Professor in Law at Cardinal Stefan Wyszyński University in Warsaw, Poland. Member of Croatian-Polish Scientific Network and Central European Professors’ Network. Plenipotentiary of the Rector of the Cardinal Stefan Wyszyński University in Warsaw for legislative and legal matters. Lecturer at the National School of Public Administration in Poland.