Former PiS MP and Constitutional Tribunal judge Krystyna Pawłowicz retired on December 5, leaving the court with only ten judges and spurring fears of paralysis.
Pawłowicz Announces Retirement
Krystyna Pawłowicz, a former PiS members of parliament and judge of Poland’s Constitutional Tribunal, announced on X that she would retire after 50 years of public service, 40 years in academia, 8 years as an MP, 6 years on the Constitutional Tribunal, and 15 years in various state bodies.
Vacancies Threaten Tribunal’s Function
With Pawłowicz’s departure, the Tribunal will have only ten judges, below the 15 required by the constitution. Recent vacancies have not been filled because mainstream parties have not put forward candidates, while PiS nominees have been rejected by the Parliamentary Justice and Human Rights Committee. Another judge, Michał Warciński, is scheduled to retire on December 20.
Czarzasty Urges Parliamentary Action
On December 2, New Left leader and Marshal of the Sejm Włodzimierz Czarzasty warned on TVN24 that chronic staff shortages could paralysise the Tribunal. He called for a meeting with coalition partners to discuss how to appoint replacements and restore the court’s full complement.
