The article refers to the interpretation and importance of aggravating and mitigating circumstances affecting the judicial penalty. These circumstances were introduced into Polish Penal Code on the basis of the amendment Act of 7 July 2022, which includes significant changes in the catalog of penalties and its assessment directives. This issue is not only the subject of scientific discussion among representatives of the doctrine of substantive criminal law, but also constitutes a practical problem, important from the point of view of the appropriate imposing of penalties. The text refers to all the circumstances listed in Article 53 § 2a and 2b of the Penal Code, as well as the consequences of their combination with the corresponding content of prohibited acts or grounds for extraordinary punishment.