Przypadek Manfreda i Kristen - czyli stalking jako przyczynek do kilku refleksji o tym, jak prawo odpowiada na zjawiska społeczne

Constitutional basis of animal welfare legislation is a key issue in resolving conflicts over the limits of human rights and freedoms imposed in order to safeguard animals as sentient creatures. In contrast to the growing number of countries in Poland the constitution does not directly mandate protecting animals. As the ground for such protection may be, however, considered the concept of public morality provided for in art. 31 sec. 3 of the Constitution. The analysis of this concept reveals that it has to be interpreted in the light of the range of socially recognized basic moral values. Furthermore, the positive and critical account of the socially embedded moral beliefs and attitudes need to be distinguished. Public morality, in the constitutional sense, has to identified rather with the critical morality, that is a kind of rational reconstruction of the views and practices widely shared within the society. The reasons of humanitarian protection of animals are unquestionably a part of public morality so conceived