EN
The article concerns the distinctiveness of martial law. The article includes two issues: 1) foundations for declaration of the martial law (defining the circumstances in which a given state of emergency may be declared) and their comparison with the state of exception; 2) emergency measures (concerning any and all changes resulting from the declaration of each type of state of emergency), which concern the powers of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Poland in the martial law and their relationships with civil authorities. Analysis of both issues confirms the following hypothesis: it is not the nature of the threat determines the distinctiveness of martial law, but the content of the powers held by the armed forces.