The president’s spokesman, Rafal Leskiewicz, said on Monday on X that Nawrocki would refer the law to the tribunal under a post-enactment constitutional review procedure.
"The law pursues an important social goal: strengthening the protection of road users and a more effective response to reckless driving and illegal street racing," Leskiewicz wrote.
"However, part of the adopted solutions raises serious constitutional doubts and may lead to consequences unacceptable in a democratic state governed by the rule of law," he added.
According to a statement published by the Polish President's Office, Nawrocki questioned, among other things, the law's unclear definition of an "illegal race."
Citizens must know in advance which behaviour constitutes a crime, the statement said, and the state cannot define the limits of criminal liability in practice.
The president also raised objections to provisions penalising participants and spectators at car meet-ups, calling them an excessive interference with freedom of assembly.
Referring the law to the tribunal is justified not because the state should refrain from combating dangerous driving, but because even legitimate goals do not justify tools that fall short of constitutional standards, the statement said, adding that criminal law requires particular precision and restraint.
The measure amending several laws to improve road safety was passed by parliament on November 7. The lower house approved Senate amendments last Thursday, and the president’s signature was expected to be the final step in the legislative process.
The law provides for prison terms of between three months and five years for exposing others to an immediate risk of death or serious injury through gross speeding or violations of road safety rules.
It also seeks to remove repeat offenders and drivers with multiple bans from traffic, with tougher penalties intended to have a deterrent effect.
(tf/gs)
Source: PAP