Poolse rechters die worden afgewezen voor het Hooggerechtshof kunnen die afwijzing laten toetsen door een Europees gerecht, ook als de nationale Grondwet of het Constitutioneel Hof elk beroep uitsluit. Dat heeft het Hof van Justitie van de Europese Unie op 2 maart bepaald. De Raad voor de Rechtspraak in Polen beoordeelt sollicitaties namelijk niet politiek onafhankelijk. Deze uitspraak zet de benoeming van ruim 40 rechters in het Hooggerechtshof onder president Andrzej Duda op losse schroeven. Minister van Justitie Zbigniew Ziobro noemt de uitspraak ‘onaanvaardbaar’.

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The Polish legal system has been deteriorating for five years. These developments encourage politicians in other European states to limit judicial independence as well. The ‘1000 Robes March’ in Warsaw on 11 January 2020 proved that we are one European magistrate’s family defending the rule of law. The Polish Judges Association IUSTITIA now continues this mission through an online petition to the European Commission. Judges for Judges calls on all European magistrates to sign this letter in support of our colleagues.

The Disciplinary Chamber of the Polish Supreme Court has waived the immunity of Judge Igor Tuleya, suspended him from all judicial duties and cut his remuneration by 25% on 18 November 2020.

The interim measures of the Court of Justice of the European Union have been blatantly ignored in order to continue these unlawful activities. Serious irreparable damage to Polish judges has already been done and the chilling effect on the Polish judiciary is now increased even further.

Seen the gravity of the situation, Judges for Judges and three European Associations of Judges and Prosecutors, in a new joint statement call upon the Council of the European Union to clearly and unequivocally uphold the fundamental value of judicial independence in the European Union and its Member States, and therefore to urgently respond to the Polish rule of law crisis and make sure that the government of Poland veers away from the previously chosen path and takes all appropriate steps to restore and respect the independence of the judiciary.