Niepoprawnik: FOOTBALL REFEREE AND CRIMINAL JUDGE - MORE SIMILARITIES THAN DIFFERENCES

The 17th UEFA European Championship is underway. On this occasion, Bogusław Leśnodorski and Marcin Matczak, hosts of the show "Niepoprawnik" on Kanal Zero, along with their guests, discussed the differences between refereeing in sports and judging in criminal cases. It turns out there are many similarities.

The guests of the show were Michał Listkiewicz, a football referee and member of the FIFA refereeing committee, and Michał Laskowski, a Supreme Court judge.

Do criminal judges analyze case files before the trial, and do sports referees gather information about players before a match?

In preparing for a match, a referee gathers information about team tactics and players known for simulating fouls. Before the era of VAR (Video Assistant Referee), this had greater significance, although today VAR is used in only 5% of matches, said Michał Listkiewicz. He also recalled how, 20 years later, footballer Jan Furtoch confessed to him that of the many penalties Listkiewicz awarded him, only half were actually deserved.

How can a referee avoid mistakes?

Judge Michał Laskowski explained that in court, errors are eliminated through a process of appeals, which involves a lengthy decision-making process. In football, however, the decision must be immediate, and the role of the second instance, as noted by Michał Listkiewicz, is played by VAR.

What should a good defense attorney's presentation in court look like?

As judges, we understand the conditions of the lawyer's profession, that sometimes there must be an element of showmanship in front of the client, and no one holds that against them. When the entire presentation is reduced to a show, it loses a lot of value. Above all, competence, factual accuracy, and loyalty matter – said Judge Laskowski.

What does “Argumentum ad baculum” mean?

The maxim “Argumentum ad baculum” means an argument of force or an argument of the stick. Can judges, both sports and criminal, use “Argumentum ad baculum”?

Watch the latest episode of "Niepoprawnik" to find out more.