Poland Ruling Conservatives Voted for Constitutional Tribunal Changes in Spite of Protest

The conservatives ruling party of Poland Government recently passed a law that favors constitutional tribunal changes which, according to critics, will weaken the Tribunal.

According to The Japanese Times, the law that the ruling conservative party of Poland is viewed as controversial because the top legal and opposition saw it as a way to paralyze the country's court. The approval of the new law, increases the bar for Constitutional Court rulings to two-thirds majority. It also calls for 13 judges to be present instead of nine.

The Law and Justice Party (PiS), led by Jaroslaw Kaczynski, has attempted to appoint five judges of its personal picking in the 15-member court, and rejects to acknowledge judges who were appointed by the Civic Platform (PO), the source added. As a result, people protested in Warsaw and other cities condemning the conservative government of destabilizing democracy.

The law meets disapproval from the Polish Supreme Court, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, Amnesty International and even former Polish President Lech Walesa, Jurist said.

Radio Poland reported Prime Minister Beata Szydło is hopeful that the legislation will end the ongoing problems over the Tribunal.

It was recalled that the conflict started when five new judges were elected by the PO controlled parliament. The new parliament revoke these judges and chose another five, who were quickly under oath by President Andrzej Duda, a former member of PiS. The Constitutional Tribunal later decided that only two of the five judges elected under PO had been elected unconstitutionally. The opposition parties suggested that the President should affirm the elections of the other three judges, a solution proposed by the Tribunal's President TK Andrzej Rzepliński, the site wrote.

The Government supports the necessary changes PiS suggested towards the Tribunal, Radio Poland added citing the Prime Minister saying "Nobody is carrying out any sort of attack on the Tribunal. There is a new bill on the Constitutional Tribunal, let's give it a chance, let it come into force."

The oppositions including the Polish Supreme Court, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe and Amnesty International are hoping the Government will review and assess the law before its implementation.

Tags

Poland Government, Law and Justice Party, Supreme Court, Civic Platform, constitutional tribunal, Prime Minister Beata Szydło, Poland

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