The Polish Presidential Office withheld photos from the 2019 oath-taking ceremony of Constitutional Tribunal judges Krystyna Pawłowicz and Stanisław Piotrowicz, despite previously publishing similar images.
Background: Nominations and Parliamentary Votes
In November 2019, the Law and Justice (PiS) club submitted Professor Jakub Stelina, along with former MPs Krystyna Pawłowicz and Stanisław Piotrowicz, to the Constitutional Tribunal.
Parliamentary votes confirmed the nominations: 230 MPs supported Pawłowicz (213 opposed), 230 supported Piotrowicz (218 opposed), and 233 supported Stelina (209 opposed, 8 abstentions).
Controversial Appointments and Initial Response
The appointments of Pawłowicz and Piotrowicz sparked debate, with Pawłowicz known for controversial statements and Piotrowicz labeled by the opposition as a “state of emergency prosecutor.”
Withheld Photos and Access to Information Requests
On December 5, 2019, the Presidential Office released a one-sentence statement regarding the oath-taking but did not publish any photos or video footage, a departure from previous practice.
Gazeta.pl requested the photos under freedom of information laws but received a denial, citing the images’ “auxiliary” and “unofficial” nature.
Legal Challenges and Court Rulings
Private citizens also filed requests, with one individual pursuing legal action through the Administrative Court in Warsaw; however, the court sided with the Presidential Office in July 2020, a decision upheld by the Supreme Administrative Court in May 2023.
Newly Obtained Images and Attendees
Gazeta.pl obtained previously unpublished photos taken by presidential photographers over six years after the event.
The images include President Andrzej Duda, the newly appointed Constitutional Tribunal judges, then-President of the TK Julia Przyłębska, Supreme Court Judge Małgorzata Manowska, and then-National Prosecutor, current President of the TK, Bogdan Święczkowski.
Current Status and Future Appointments
Stanisław Piotrowicz and Jakub Stelina remain on the Constitutional Tribunal, while Krystyna Pawłowicz retired in December of last year.
The timing of the photo release coincides with the Sejm’s recent selection of six new Constitutional Tribunal judges, and it remains uncertain whether President Karol Nawrocki will administer their oaths.
