Polskie Towarzystwo Prawa Wyznaniowego was established on the 21st of June 2008 in Lublin (Poland) by twenty two specialists of church-state law. It was a result of initiative of the two leading church-state law scholars of Poland: Professor Henryk Misztal of Catholic University of Lublin and Professor Michał Pietrzak of University of Warsaw. The Association was registered by the Disctrict Court of Lublin on the 19th of August '2008, obtaining legal personality (National Court Register Number: 0000311635). It has a permanent seat at: Al. Racławickie 14 p. 701, 20-950 Lublin. The electronic address of the Management Board is: zarzad@ptpw.pl The world wide web of the PTPW is: www.ptpw.pl
The purpose of the Association is to promote the development of the church-state law, to spread the achievements of church-state law doctrine on the popular level and to integrate of the community of church-state law specialists (Section 7 of the Association's Statute). The Association is an academic body and as such does not identify with any particular worldview, philosophical, religious and political outlook, respecting the right of all its members to express their convictions in those matters only on their own behalf (Section 3 of the Statute). There are four categories of membership in the Association. The full membership (ordinary membership) is open to a person who: 1) holds at least the Ph.D. degree, 2) has got publications in area of church-state law, 3) has received at least two written recommendations from two PTPW full members.
At present, the Association has more than 100 members and counts among them the great majority of church-state law professors, lecturers and professionals of Poland.
The highest authority of the Association rests in its General Assembly of Members. Ordinary Assembly is convened at least once a year. Other Association's authorities are: Programme Board, Management Board and Auditing Committee.
Association's Programme Board includes: prof. dr hab. Wojciech Góralski (Stefan Cardinal Wyszynski University in Warsaw), prof. dr hab. Krzysztof Krasowski (Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznan), prof. dr hab. Józef Krukowski (Stefan Cardinal Wyszynski University in Warsaw), prof. dr hab. Artur Mezglewski (John Paul II Catholic University of Lublin), prof. dr hab. Henryk Misztal (John Paul II Catholic University of Lublin), prof. dr hab. Ryszard Sztychmiler (University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn), prof. dr hab. Wacław Uruszczak (Jagiellonian University in Krakow), prof. dr hab. Wiktor Wysoczański (Christian Academy of Theology in Warsaw).
The following persons serve on a Management Board: president - prof. AszWoj dr hab. Marek Bielecki (War Studies University); deputy presidents - dr hab. Wojciech Brzozowski (University of Warsaw), prof. dr hab. Piotr Stanisz (John Paul II Catholic University of Lublin), prof. dr hab. Dariusz Walencik (University of Opole); treasurer - dr hab. Justyna Krzywkowska (University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn); secretary - dr Michał Poniatowski (Cardinal Stefan Wyszynski University), members - prof. UJ dr hab. Maciej Mikuła (Jagiellonian University in Kraków), dr Marek Strzała (Jagiellonian University in Kraków), prof. KUL dr hab. Anna Tunia (John Paul II Catholic University of Lublin), prof. dr hab. Tadeusz J. Zieliński (Christian Academy of Theology in Warsaw).
Auditing Committee members are: prof. dr hab. Tadeusz Stanisławski - chairman, prof. UO dr hab. Mieczysław Różański - deputy chairman, prof. UJ dr hab. Zdzisław Zarzycki - secretary; members: dr Michał Hucał, dr Marcin Olszówka, dr Konrad Walczuk, dr Krystyna Ziółkowska.
The Association is a co-sponsor of annual Polish Conference of Church-State Law and since 2009 publishes an academic yearbook "Przegląd Prawa Wyznaniowego" (Church-State Law Review).