Polish judges have assessed candidates for the National Council of the Judiciary (KRS), with those backed by judicial associations garnering the most votes in initial polls.
Judges’ Assessments of KRS Candidates
Judges supported by associations like Iustitia and Themis received the highest support in votes for KRS candidates within appellate courts, according to published results.
From Monday, judicial assemblies across Poland conducted evaluations of candidates for the National Council of the Judiciary. Of the 60 candidates submitted to the Sejm Marshal, judges are selecting 15, who are expected to be chosen by the Sejm, as announced by the ruling majority.
Voting Process and Top Candidates
Judges evaluated candidates by voting on ballots listing all KRS candidates alphabetically. Each judge had 15 votes, with only one vote allowed per candidate.
As of Wednesday midday, preliminary vote counts from the Warsaw Court of Appeal were published. Edyta Jefimko, a judge in the Warsaw Court of Appeal’s V Civil Division, received the most votes (415). Dariusz Zawistowski, a judge in the Supreme Court’s Civil Chamber and former KRS Chairman (2015-2018), came in second with 400 votes.
Further Top Vote-Getters in Warsaw
Among the 15 candidates with the most support from judges at the Warsaw Regional Court, were: Monika Frąckowiak (337 votes), Sławomir Cilulko (329), Wojciech Buchajczuk (339), Ewa Mierzejewska (344), Jarosław Łuczaj (328), Beata Donhöffner-Grodzicka (326), Agnieszka Kobylinska-Bortkiewicz (325), Magdalena Kierszka (327), Aleksandra Wrzesińska-Nowacka (317), Katarzyna Zawiślak (323), Ewa Żołnierczuk-Dec (325), Karolina Bąk-Lasota (329), and Bartłomiej Starosta (323).
Support from Judicial Associations
These 15 judges are candidates supported by associations such as the Polish Judges Association “Iustitia”, the “Themis” Association, and the Polish Association of Administrative Court Judges.
Among candidates not backed by these associations, Paweł Dobosz, a judge at the Warsaw District Court, received the most votes in the Warsaw Court of Appeal – 178.
Votes for Former Justice Ministry Officials
The candidates evaluated also included former Deputy Ministers of Justice from the PiS government era – judges Anna Dalkowska and Łukasz Piebiak. They received 13 and 10 votes respectively in the Warsaw Court of Appeal. Piotr Schab, the former Disciplinary Spokesperson for Common Courts appointed during the PiS government, received 7 votes, and his deputy, Przemysław Radzik, received 2 votes. Both were dismissed by the heads of the Ministry of Justice appointed by the current ruling coalition in 2025, but both consider their dismissals ineffective.
Controversies and Concerns over the Evaluation Process
Some candidates questioned the evaluation process conducted by the assemblies. Zygmunt Drożdżejko, a candidate and President of the Association of Judges RP, stated that court presidents should not organize assemblies to satisfy the Minister of Justice, as there is no legal basis for this.
Results from Other Appellate Courts
Fifteen judges supported by Iustitia and Themis also emerged as frontrunners in other appellate courts across the country. Preliminary results have been published by appellate courts in Krakow, Wrocław, Poznań, Białystok, Szczecin, and Gdańsk. In Gdańsk, Judge Zawistowski received 544 votes, one of the highest results.
Government Assessment and Ongoing Dispute
Minister of Justice Waldemar Żurek stated that the judicial environment is “passing the exam” with nearly 60% participation and that judges are “choosing pro-democratic candidates.”
The dispute over the KRS and the selection of judges is linked to a 2017 amendment to the Council’s Act, which shifted the selection of 15 KRS judge-members from judicial circles to the Sejm.
