The Polish Sejm fell 20 votes short of overriding President Nawrocki’s veto of a criminal code amendment, with two PiS MPs voting against the party line.
Presidential Veto Sustained
The Sejm voted 244 to 180 to uphold President Nawrocki’s veto of the amended Criminal Procedure Code (KPK). A three-fifths majority of those present – 264 votes – was required to override the veto.
The President vetoed the bill on March 13th, citing concerns about citizen safety and the effectiveness of the state in combating serious crime. He pointed to a lack of clarity and systemic coherence in some of the new provisions.
PiS Dissent and Abstentions
Two MPs from the ruling PiS party voted against overriding the veto, while 16 abstained. Krzysztof Szczucki and Paweł Jabłoński were among those who abstained, with Szczucki stating the need for reform of the temporary arrest system and citing flaws in the coalition’s proposed legislation.
President’s Alternative Proposal
President Nawrocki has submitted his own draft amendment to the KPK, aiming to address concerns about prolonged temporary arrests and protect against the use of illegally obtained evidence – with exceptions for cases involving national security or child safety.
Content of the Amendment
The extensive amendment to the Criminal Procedure Code, passed on February 27th, addressed numerous aspects of criminal procedure, including the application of temporary arrests based on the severity of potential punishment and the admissibility of illegally obtained evidence.
Changes also included a revised definition of “suspect,” granting that status from the moment of detention, as well as modifications to the European Arrest Warrant system, evidence handling, attorney-client confidentiality, and appeal deadlines.
The adopted solutions were the result of government, committee, and parliamentary proposals submitted to the Sejm since 2024. Justice Deputy Minister Arkadiusz Myrcha described the amendment as “one of the largest, if not the largest, comprehensive reform of criminal procedure since the introduction of the Code of Criminal Procedure in 1997.”