Abstract

The Detective Services Act of 6 July 2001 imposed on detectives, among other things, the duty of secrecy with respect of the sources of information and circumstances of the case they learned in the course of detective activities. Following the 2004 amendment of that Act the duty of secrecy was imposed also on economic operators conducting a detective services business (Art. 23a.1–23a.3 of the Act). Thus, the mutual relations between a detective and an economic operator were regulated, and protection of information obtained in connection with the performance of a contract for the provision of detective services was consolidated. The article analyses the legal basis and the structure of secrecies specified in the Detective Services Act. The indicated differences concerning the subjective and objective scope of the secrecy of a detective and an economic operator conducting a detective services business allow for their distinction.