Reviewer in Habilitation Proceedings in the Discipline of Legal Sciences

The article examines various aspects of the regulations on reviewers laid down in the Act of 20 July 2018 – Law on Higher Education and Science, in proceedings for the conferral of the postdoctoral degree of doktor habilitowany (dr hab.) [Doctor habilitatus] in the discipline of legal sciences. The analysis covers the concept of ‘reviewer’, their qualifications and role in these proceedings, the obstacles to obtain a reviewer status, and the acquisition and loss of that status. Given the requirement for high-quality reviews, it is not sufficient for a reviewer merely to represent the discipline of legal sciences; rather, they must represent the science of law or the branch of law to which the achievements of the applicant for the degree of doktor habilitowany relate. This is linked to the requirement that a reviewer appointed to evaluate achievements in a different science or branch of law from that in which they are involved should submit to the entity that appointed them a request to be released from their reviewing duties.