In a contentious move, Polish Sejm Speaker Włodzimierz Czarzasty swore in six Constitutional Tribunal judges after the President refused to administer the oath.
Speaker Czarzasty Accuses President of Overstepping Authority
Włodzimierz Czarzasty stated that the President failed to fulfill his legal obligation to administer the oath to the newly elected Constitutional Tribunal judges, only doing so for two of them. He emphasized that the President lacks the authority to assess the validity of the judges’ selection.
Czarzasty added that the refusal to administer the oath has no legal basis and constitutes a usurpation of power by the President.
Oath-Taking Ceremony Held in Sejm
The oath-taking ceremony for the six judges took place in the Sejm, with the presence of former presidents of the Constitutional Tribunal, heads of notarial and legal councils, and a Warsaw Court of Appeal judge. Czarzasty declared the procedure closed upon completion.
President Accused of Ignoring Law, Right-Wing Criticism
Czarzasty asserted that the President and his office should uphold the law, not interpret it, and any future deviations will be corrected. He also criticized right-wing politicians for allegedly “destroying” the Constitutional Tribunal over the past 11 years.
Media Access and Right-Wing Journalists’ Questions
Following Czarzasty’s statement, journalists questioned the event’s organization and limited media access. Czarzasty stated that all television stations had the opportunity to use the signal if they wished. A journalist from “Gazeta Polska Codziennie” sarcastically congratulated Czarzasty on ending the “chaos.”
Dispute Over Presidential Refusal and “Impromptu Event”
A journalist from Telewizja wPolska24 questioned the basis for assuming the President had refused to accept the oath. Czarzasty reiterated that the procedure was closed and declined to engage in further debate. Another journalist questioned the meaning of taking the oath “before the President” given his absence, to which Czarzasty responded that the President was invited but did not attend.
Judges Sworn In, KPRP Chief Condemns Procedure
On April 9th, six judges elected to the Constitutional Tribunal took their oaths in the Sejm, including Dariusz Szostek and Magdalena Bentkowska, who had already been sworn in by the President, as well as Krystian Markiewicz, Maciej Taborowski, Marcin Dziurdzi and Anna Korwin-Piotrowska.
Zbigniew Bogucki, head of the KPRP, condemned the event as a “farce” conducted without legal basis and in violation of the Constitution, maintaining that there are eleven legitimate judges and four “anti-judges” of the Tribunal.
