Wednesday, July 09, 2025
55.0°F

Poland court defers verdict on legality of some judges

The Associated Press | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 5 years, 4 months AGO
by The Associated Press
| March 3, 2020 9:48 AM

photo

In this Saturday, Jan. 11, 2020 photo the President of Poland's Supreme Court Malgorzata Gersdorf talks to reporters in Warsaw, Poland about doubts being raised over the legitimacy of recent judicial appointments made under new regulations that involve politicians in the process. A top constitutional court is to rule Tuesday, March 3, 2020 whether such appointments are legal. (AP Photo/Czarek Sokolowski)

photo

In this Saturday, Jan. 11, 2020 photo the President of Poland's Supreme Court Malgorzata Gersdorf talks to reporters in Warsaw, Poland about doubts being raised over the legitimacy of recent judicial appointments made under new regulations that involve politicians in the process. A top constitutional court is to rule Tuesday, March 3, 2020 whether such appointments are legal. (AP Photo/Czarek Sokolowski)

WARSAW, Poland (AP) — Poland's constitutional court on Tuesday deferred issuing its ruling on whether recent judicial appointments made under regulations introduced by the right-wing government are legitimate.

The Constitutional Tribunal was asked to decide on the lawfulness of the appointments, which were suggested by a judicial body that critics say the government has politicized. The tribunal also is weighing if Poland's president had full power to put judges on the bench across the country.

The constitutional court held a session Tuesday but put off ruling until March 12.

President Andrzej Duda is aligned with the ruling Law and Justice party. Some of the Constitutional Tribunal's judges, including court President Julia Przylebska, also were appointed with the party's backing.

For that reason, the Supreme Court of Poland has argued that the tribunal has no authority to issue rulings.

“In the name of the Supreme Court, I declare that the Constitutional Tribunal in its current composition has lost the ability of fair execution of the functions assigned to it,” Supreme Court President Malgorzata Gersdorf said in a letter to the tribunal.

The Supreme Court and government critics say that under the new regulations judicial appointments are politicized, making rulings by those judges flawed and invalid.

The case is part of a wider controversy over changes the Law and Justice-led government has made to the judicial system since it came to power in 2015. European Union bodies have said that interference with the judiciary violates the democratic system of checks and balances.

The European Court of Justice said in November it was up to Poland's courts to assess the legality of the recent judge appointments and the validity of verdicts the judges issued. On that basis, the Supreme Court said they were invalid.

The ruling party and the president challenged the Supreme Court's interpretation before the Constitutional Tribunal.

MORE IMPORTED STORIES

Poland court defers verdict on legality of some judges
Columbia Basin Herald | Updated 5 years, 4 months ago
Poland court to rule on legality of judicial appointments
Columbia Basin Herald | Updated 5 years, 4 months ago
Polish court again defers verdict on legality of new judges
Daily Inter-Lake | Updated 5 years, 3 months ago

ARTICLES BY THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

September 9, 2021 12:03 a.m.

The Latest: US helped family escape Afghanistan overland

WASHINGTON — The United States is confirming for the first time that it has helped a U.S. citizen and family members to escape Afghanistan through an overland route to a neighboring country.

September 8, 2021 12:03 a.m.

The Latest: US helped family escape Afghanistan overland

WASHINGTON — The United States is confirming for the first time that it has helped a U.S. citizen and family members to escape Afghanistan through an overland route to a neighboring country.

September 8, 2021 12:03 a.m.

The Latest: Top Republican says Taliban holding Americans

WASHINGTON — The top Republican on the House Foreign Affairs Committee says some Americans who have been trying to get out of Afghanistan since the U.S. military left are sitting in airplanes at an airport ready to leave but the Taliban are not letting them take off.