An outstanding scientist and lawyer of international renown, judge and President of the International Criminal Court in The Hague in the years 2021-2024, Professor Piotr Józef Hofmański received the title of doctor honoris causa from the University of Białystok on Friday, April 4, 2025. He is the 24th person to whom the Senate of the largest university in Podlasie has awarded this dignity.
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- I would like to warmly welcome all of you to the ceremony of awarding the title of doctor honoris causa of the University of Białystok to Professor Piotr Józef Hofmański: an outstanding scholar, a valued lawyer, an excellent academic teacher, an intellectual of great stature whose doctrinal and judicial contribution has permanently inscribed itself in the achievements of the science of criminal procedure, international criminal law and serves to develop the idea of protecting human rights. I am proud of the decision of our academic community. I say this as the rector but also as a student of prof. Hofmański - said, opening the ceremony, the rector of the University of Białystok, prof. dr hab. Mariusz Popławski.
Prof. Piotr Hofmański, for 12 years, initially linked his professional life with the Branch of the University of Warsaw in Białystok and then with the University of Białystok, where in the years 1991-2002 he headed the Department of Criminal Law at the Faculty of Law and in the years 1991-1993 he served as Vice-Dean of the Faculty of Law.
On Friday, April 4, 2025, this distinguished lawyer joined the group of honorary doctors of the University of Białystok. For security reasons, only invited guests took part in Friday's ceremony in Białystok.
The ceremony took place in the Janusz Korczak Hall of the Faculty of Education. It was attended by representatives of the largest university in Podlasie, the world of science and the justice system. The guests included, among others: the Commissioner for Human Rights, prof. Marcin Wiącek, dr hab. Agnieszka Grzelak, prof. of the Kozminski Academy - Vice-President of the Office for Personal Data Protection, Jacek Michałowski - Advisor to the Minister of Justice for social affairs, Jacek Brzozowski - Podlasie Voivode, Łukasz Prokorym - Marshal of the Podlasie Voivodeship, Marek Szymanowski - President of the Court of Appeal in Białystok, Włodzimierz Chróścik - President of the National Council of Legal Advisers and the closest relatives of the honorary doctor.
The laudation in honor of prof. Hofmański was delivered by prof. dr hab. Andrzej Sakowicz from the Faculty of Law of the University of Białystok.
Assuming that the measure of a scholar is his work and of a scholar involved in the study of law is also his influence on the practice of applying the law, it should be stated at the outset that Professor Piotr Hofmański is one of the most outstanding representatives of the Polish legal world, both in the academic dimension and in court practice. He is a scholar of international renown and the scientific activity of the Professor has permanently inscribed itself in the achievements of the science of criminal law, criminal procedure and international criminal law. It can be stated with full conviction that the scientific achievements of Professor Piotr Hofmański have made him an ambassador of Polish legal science - emphasized prof. Andrzej Sakowicz in his laudation.
In his speech, he drew attention to the rich public and expert activity of the honorary doctor. He also recalled the "Białystok period" in the professional career of Professor Hofmański. He recalled that the academic degrees and titles obtained, subsequent functions in the world of science and judicial activity carried out in various places (he was the first Pole in history to become the President of the International Criminal Court) did not entail any changes in the personality of Professor Piotr Hofmański.
- He was and remains a man open to others, modest and attracting like a magnet. The unique combination of exceptional intellect, diligence, human goodness, openness, empathy, cooperation allowed the Professor - regardless of where he worked - in Toruń, Katowice, Białystok, Krakow, Warsaw or The Hague - to build a community within which large and small events were realized. There is one more skill that Professor Piotr Hofmański mastered to perfection. It is the ability to listen, to take every voice into account, to take into account different points of view – said a lawyer from the University of Białystok.
The merits and excellent achievements of Professor Piotr Hofmański were also emphasized by the reviewers of the procedure for awarding the title: Professor Christine Van Den Wyngaert, Professor Stanisław Waltoś and Professor Leonard Etel who recalled, among other things, that the figure of Themis, inscribed in the logo of the Faculty of Law, was Professor Hofmański's idea. It has been the faculty's "trademark" since 1994, i.e. for 30 years now.
During the ceremony, the Ombudsman for Human Rights, Professor Marcin Wiącek also spoke and presented the honorary doctor with the honorary badge "For Merits for the Protection of Human Rights".
- We talk about human rights as one of the most important achievements of our era. The constitution, acts of international law, and extensive legislation stand guard over human rights, but in social practice, the strength and complexity of human rights is determined by how many people identify with them. Many people make efforts to implement them and when necessary, fight for their defense with courage and determination. Today, I have the honor of awarding the badge of the Ombudsman for his services to the protection of human rights to one of the most outstanding experts and defenders of human rights, scientist and practitioner, Professor Piotr Hofmański. I am talking about science and practice because the Professor is a person who sets an excellent example of how to combine scientific activity with work for the state and society - said Professor Marcin Wiącek.
- We are meeting today in such an exceptional group at the University of Białystok to express our respect for Professor Piotr Hofmański. If we all feel the great importance of this meeting, it is also because we are united by a common belief that we cannot build our world, regardless of whether we think about the world of science or broadly understood public life without basing it on true authority – emphasized dr Jacek Brzozowski, Voivode of Podlaskie.
During the ceremony, a letter from the Minister of Justice Adam Bodnar was also read. Congratulations were also sent by, among others, the Rector of the Jagiellonian University, the Rector of the John Paul II Catholic University of Lublin, the Rector of the University of Warmia and Mazury.
- I am bursting with pride and great joy at returning to my Białystok Alma Mater for this special moment. Above all, however, I am paralyzed by humility because I did nothing to deserve such special treatment. Białystok is a special place for me. The twelve years I spent at the University of Białystok were a period of development for this university, the Faculty of Law. I had the honor of participating in talks on the independence of this university, I witnessed the development of its academic staff - emphasized Prof. Hofmański.
In his lecture, he shared his reflections on the international dimension of justice, punishing criminals and the need to compensate victims. He emphasized that despite many obstacles and paralysis from the "great ones of this world" - when their interests are violated, one must not give up on international dimensions of justice.
Prof. Piotr Hofmański is an outstanding educator, scientist, academic teacher, editor-in-chief of the Criminal Procedure Law System, member and Chairman of the Criminal Law Codification Commission, author of several hundred works in the field of criminal law, criminal procedure, human rights and international criminal law. He is an unquestionable authority and a person recognizable to lawyers both in Poland and abroad.
He has held honorable positions: judge and press spokesman of the Supreme Court, judge and later also President of the International Criminal Court in The Hague.
The International Court in The Hague, chaired by prof. Hofmański, issued an arrest warrant for Vladimir Putin and the Russian children's rights advocate Maria Lwowa - Biełowa.
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