Polish coalition parliamentarians introduce draft resolution to restore constitutional standards for selecting judges to the National Council of the Judiciary.
Legislative Initiative
The first reading of a parliamentary draft resolution, signed by coalition government lawmakers, to restore constitutional standards for electing judges to the National Council of the Judiciary (KRS) has been scheduled in the Sejm’s Justice Committee.
The resolution states that the Sejm will ensure that when forming the KRS under the current law, it will consider the results of elections conducted by Polish judges in general and transparent elections.
Critique of Current KRS
The resolution also states that the current National Council of the Judiciary is not an independent body from other powers, as the judges elected to its composition are not representatives of the judicial community, nor do they represent judges from all types of courts.
Presidential Veto and Government Response
Last Thursday, President Karol Nawrocki announced he had vetoed the amendment to the KRS law and the related amendment to the electoral code. The proposed changes would have provided for the election of judicial members of the Council by all judges, rather than by the Sejm as under current regulations.
Minister of Justice Waldemar Żurek stated after the presidential veto that he “will not back down in restoring constitutional organs to citizens.” He added, “We have a plan B and we will implement it.”
“Plan B” Proposal
The Minister of Justice explained that this “plan B” would involve judges meeting in grassroots assemblies in all courts to select 15 people among themselves who would be formally nominated to the KRS. “And the democratic majority in parliament would respect this choice,” he explained.