PENAL LAW PROTECTION OF CULTURAL HERITAGE

An international conference on the penal law protection of cultural heritage, held in Gdańsk from 30 May to 1 June 2005, was organised by the Prosecutor’s Office of Appeal in Gdańsk under the patronage of the ministers of culture and justice. The two fundamental issues present in the papers and discussions were the inclusion of crimes against historical monuments into the penal code and the activity of art experts in penal procedure. Although the chief addressees of the conference were prosecutors, the event attracted numerous representatives of the world of science, the court system, the police, secular and Church services specialising in the protection of historical monuments as well as all persons interested in the topic. Many of the aspects of the conference were truly unprecedented – on the one hand, it witnessed an extensive exchange of experiences and views between representatives of the administration of justice and the conservation services; on the other hand, it gathered not only representatives of state organs but also scientists and Church subjects engaged in the protection of cultural heritage