 Poland, with its unique underground state, was the only country in occupied Europe to have an extensive, underground justice system.These clandestine courts operated with attention to due process (although limited by circumstances), so it could take months to get a death sentence passed.However, Prekerowa notes that the death sentences by non-military courts only began to be issued in September 1943, which meant that blackmailers were able to operate for some time already since the first Nazi anti-Jewish measures of 1940.