Budka: The current parliamentary majority, PiS and its affiliates, bears full responsibility for this chaos and what is happening in the judiciary.

03/12/2019

16:04

Budka:

The current parliamentary majority, PiS and its affiliates, bears full responsibility for this chaos and what is happening in the judiciary.

Michał Olech

We have just heard about a bizarre resolution by the Council of Ministers concerning issues related to the judiciary. It must be emphasized that the current parliamentary majority, meaning PiS and its affiliates, bears full responsibility for this chaos and what is happening in the judiciary. Let me remind you that it was PiS that led to the situation where we have three so-called 'dubler' judges in the Constitutional Tribunal. It is PiS that is responsible for the complete politicization of the National Council of the Judiciary (KRS). It is PiS that has led to the situation where we do not have an independent prosecution service, and its structures are completely subordinate to a politician, the Minister of Justice. Let me remind you that as a result of changes pushed through by the Minister of Justice, Zbigniew Ziobro, and the Ministry of Justice, we are dealing with a KRS composed unconstitutionally, with unconstitutional regulations regarding disciplinary proceedings in the Supreme Court, and we are facing a situation where even several hundred judges in Poland may be appointed in violation of the Polish Constitution and European law. The attempt to blame Polish judges for the situation created by this government and this majority is complete hypocrisy and duplicity, because let me remind you that it was PiS that retreated like a crab from anti-European and unconstitutional changes concerning the Supreme Court. Let me remind you that it was PiS that, contrary to the Constitution, appointed 15 judges to the KRS, nominees of the current authorities. Let me remind you that it was PiS that led to the situation where the method of electing some judges of the Constitutional Tribunal is in conflict with final rulings of that tribunal. I want to emphasize once again that, in accordance with the ruling of the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU), Polish judges have not only the right, but above all the obligation, to examine whether judgments in Poland are issued by individuals who are independent and were chosen through a constitutional procedure – stated Borys Budka at a press briefing in the Sejm. - If this government now adopts such resolutions, it only proves that it does not understand what European law is, what a CJEU ruling is, and unfortunately, it is heading for a confrontation with EU bodies and, above all, it violates the Polish Constitution, which in Article 173 guarantees the separation of the judiciary from the executive and legislative powers – continued the head of the Civic Platform-Civic Coalition (PO-KO) club.

Michał Olech