Judge Stanisław Pawela was born on 28 November 1928 in Gilowice, Żywiec county. He graduated from the Faculty of Law of Warsaw University in 1954. Judge Pawela earned his juris doctor degree in 1968, and a habilitated doctor's degree in 1978, and was awarded the title of professor of legal studies in 1990. In 1952-1957 he was a judge in a county court and, in 1958-1971, a judge of voivodship court. From 1966 to 1972 he served as director of the Department of Execution of Court Decisions at the Ministry of Justice. He was a lecturer at Silesian University in 1969-1972, and at Warsaw University (Postgraduate Studies of Judicial Law) in 1972-1980.

From 1972 to 1981 he served as President of the Voivodship Court in Warsaw. He was a judge of the Supreme Court in 1972-1989, and a deputy member of the Tribunal of State in 1982-1986. He was a lecturer at the Academy of Internal Affairs in Warsaw from 1973 to 1989, and at Wrocław University (Postgraduate Studies of Penal Law) in 1978-1979, and again from 1996. Currently, he is a lecturer at the Higher School of Business and Administration in Warsaw, and was a deputy dean of the Faculty of Law in 1996-1997. From 1997 he is also a lecturer at the Higher School of Trade and Law in Warsaw.

He was a member of the Codification Commissions for drafting penal law codes in 1969 and 1997. He is a member of the Polish Lawyers Association.

He is an author of 17 books and scholarly works, and over 150 articles, studies and glosses.

Stanisław Pawela was a Judge of the Constitutional Tribunal from 1985 to 1989.