Poland’s Justice Minister unveiled a draft rule‑of‑law bill to overhaul the judiciary, targeting improperly appointed judges and pledging to restore public confidence in the legal system.
Draft Rule‑of‑Law Bill Targets Neo‑Judges
The ministry presented a bill that will allow judges appointed through improper procedures by the neo‑KRS to return to their original courts, finish cases they had started, and stand for re‑evaluation by the legally appointed National Judicial Council (KRS). Neo‑judges may continue to sit on the Supreme Court, while prosecutors are to return to the prosecutor’s office. The extraordinary Control and Public Affairs Chamber will be abolished, but judgments issued by improperly appointed judges will remain in force, enabling parties that consistently questioned the legality of the adjudicating bench to revise such rulings.
Minister Waldemar Żurek said the law “will restore for citizens the certainty that a judge who renders a verdict was appointed lawfully. It is not a revolution; it is a return to principles.”
Minister Warns of Judicial Chaos
After a press conference, Żurek highlighted the scale of the problem: over 2,500 judges appointed through flawed procedures, hundreds of cases pending at the European Court of Human Rights, and billions of euros removed from Poland’s EU funds. The debt continues to grow, he stated, and the responsibility to end the chaos and restore public trust in the rule of law rests with the entire political class. The remarks were posted to X.
Examples of Judicial Misconduct
Żurek recalled that in 2024 the appellate court in Rzeszów temporarily suspended criminal hearings because it had five neo‑judges and only one legitimate judge; 140 cases were pending. He cited an Olsztyn lawyer who donated 12,500 zł to the PiS electoral fund, then became a neo‑judge, later a deputy disciplinary prosecutor, and vice‑chairman of the Regional Court in Olsztyn. Recently, of 57 judges tested for independence and impartiality before the Supreme Court, many failed. “These are not the standards of an EU member state. It is the picture of years of dismantling the rule of law,” Żurek said.