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On Monday, converted Polish judicial apparatus demonstrated its power again. In south of country, ten judges and former prison directors were arrested. The accusation is that y should have established a criminal association that has been embezzlement millions of dollars in public money for years. Only hours after arrests, Poland’s Minister of Justice spoke on radio. Finally, criminals in judiciary could be “abolished”, thanks to new judicial reform.
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For months, Polish government party has been trying to persuade people that reform is only in ir favor, right and justice (PiS). The recent arrests should also signal: crime in country is being fought resolutely, courts are working flawlessly. In order to strengn this feeling, government has even launched an advertising campaign in which Poles describe ir expectations of Umgekrempelte system: a completely independent, corruption-free judiciary.
However, legal experts, opposition and European Commission are sure that rulers with reform are in fact trying to subdue judicial system. And government is making more and more progress with Prime Minister Beata Szydło: By Tuesday, Parliament will decide that future politicians can determine who is a member of Council country. The institution controls independence of judiciary in Poland and nominates judges – who controls this council, in fact, controls a large part of judiciary.
“This will endanger whole legal system”
The European Commission has long warned Poland of this move. “This poses a systematic threat to rule of law,” said first vice-President of Commission, Frans Timmermans, weeks ago. Legal experts such as Warsaw law professor Martin Matczak also consider proposed regulation to be unconstitutional. He sees great danger that politicians could subsequently annul judgments of courts by Council. “None of judgments will be final. That will endanger whole legal system, “says Matczak.
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In past, Constitutional Court could have stopped political subjugation of Justice Council. But for a year, Supreme Court of Government has also been subject: The PiS had, at that time, illegally appointed new judges to pronounce judgments in sense of executive. The new Constitutional Court has already released new law on State Council in June.
It is not first attempt by ruling party to increase its influence on council. For first time last summer, Polish president Andrzej Duda vetoed it – after fierce protests across country. He also blocked a new rule, according to which judges in Constitutional Court may not be older than 65 years. The law would have relieved almost half of all supreme judges from ir duties at one stroke, and PiS would have been able to replace m without any problems.
