Polish police entered the National Council of the Judiciary headquarters on January 21, 2026, to search for documents related to disciplinary cases.
Police Action at KRS
On Wednesday, January 21, 2026, prosecutors and police entered the seat of the National Council of the Judiciary (KRS), specifically the office of the Disciplinary Spokesperson for Judges of Common Courts. KRS Chairperson Dagmara Pawełczyk-Woicka posted a video of the officers’ actions on social media, writing: “Scenes in the KRS building. Not allowing entry. Police has taken over the seat.”
Minister of Justice Waldemar Żurek explained during his Sejm speech that he wants to recover documents that were not released by the disciplinary spokespersons of the previous minister, Zbigniew Ziobra. Specifically, he mentioned Piotr Schab, Przemysław Radzik, and Michał Lasota.
Prosecutor’s Explanation
“This is a decision demanding the surrender of items and a search warrant,” commented Anna Adamiak, spokesperson for the Prosecutor General, on the police actions at the KRS building. “This proceeding was initiated due to a notification of the possibility of committing a crime from March 28, 2025, and concerns hiding documents by not releasing them, that is, refusing to hand over documents, as well as invoking the function held when the persons do not hold this function,” she added.
“I dismissed people who in my opinion were destroying the law and destroying people with their decisions. And now these people are sitting in offices that KRS provides them,” commented Minister of Justice Waldemar Żurek on TVN24.
Manowska’s Strong Opposition
First President of the Supreme Court Małgorzata Manowska commented on the situation, stating: “In connection with the scandalous events of January 21, 2026, when on the order of the prosecutor, police officers entered the seat of the National Council of the Judiciary and conducted activities in the office of the Disciplinary Spokesperson for Judges of Common Courts, I express deep concern and firm opposition to the situation that has arisen.”
“The forced entry into its seat, as well as the unacceptable restriction of access of the Chairperson of the National Council of the Judiciary, Judge Dagmara Pawełczyk-Woicka, to service premises constitutes an unacceptable interference in the functioning of an institution of key importance for the judiciary, standing guard over the independence of courts and the independence of judges,” she emphasized.
Potential Intimidation of Judges
In Manowska’s opinion, “the actions of the prosecutor’s office, coinciding with the Sejm debate on the draft so-called rule of law bill by Minister of Justice and Prosecutor General Waldemar Żurek, raise serious doubts about their motive – they may be perceived as an attempt to intimidate judges ahead of the discussion on the government’s prepared solutions.”
Recall that on the day of the police and prosecutor’s intervention in the KRS building, the first reading of the government bill “on restoring the right to an independent and impartial court established by law by regulating the effects of resolutions of the National Council of the Judiciary adopted in 2018-2025” took place in the Sejm.
Concerning Trend
The First President of the Supreme Court emphasized in her statement that “any procedural activities conducted against bodies of the judiciary must take place with full respect for their autonomy, without the use of force and in a manner that disturbs their functioning as little as possible.”
“The incident of January 21, 2026, resembles last year’s shocking actions taken against the judicial power – including, inter alia, questioning the legitimacy of judicial appointments and attempts to dismiss disciplinary spokespersons – and fits into a growing, disturbing trend of weakening judicial independence,” she stated.
Prosecutor’s Clarification
The spokesperson for the Prosecutor General, Prosecutor Anna Adamiak, argued that the procedural activities were conducted exclusively in the premises occupied by the office of the disciplinary spokesperson and in no way “disrupted” the functioning of the KRS.
“The search was conducted exclusively in the premises occupied by the office of the disciplinary spokesperson, located in the building at Rakowiecka Street 30 in Warsaw, constituting a separate and independent organizational space, and did not include premises related to the activities or functioning of the National Council of the Judiciary,” reads the prosecutor’s office communiqué.
