The Sejm Justice Committee approved 15 judge-candidates for the National Council of the Judiciary on Tuesday, incorporating nominees from both the ruling coalition and opposition parties ahead of a Friday vote.
Committee Approves Final List of Candidates
The Sejm Justice Committee established a list of 15 candidates for the National Council of the Judiciary (KRS) on Tuesday. The selection includes 13 judges nominated by the ruling coalition, alongside one candidate each from the PiS and Konfederacja parliamentary clubs.
The list was supported by 18 committee members, with two voting against and no abstentions. While parliamentary clubs nominated a total of 17 judges from 60 registered candidates, the committee narrowed the selection ahead of the plenary vote scheduled for Friday.
Coalition Nominees and Necessary Exclusions
The ruling coalition initially indicated 15 judges selected during the opinion-forming process by national judicial assemblies. These candidates, supported by associations such as Iustitia and Themis, included Edyta Jefimko, Dariusz Zawistowski, Monika Frąckowiak, Wojciech Buchajczuk, Ewa Mierzejewska, Jarosław Łuczaj, Agnieszka Kobylinska-Bortkiewicz, Magdalena Kierszka, Aleksandra Wrzesińska-Nowacka, Katarzyna Zawiślak, Ewa Żołnierczuk-Dec, Karolina Bąk-Lasota, and Bartłomiej Starosta.
To accommodate opposition nominees, Sławomir Cilulko and Beata Donhöffner-Grodzicka were ultimately excluded from the final committee list. This adjustment was required to satisfy legal provisions regarding minority club representation on the final ballot.
Opposition Candidates from PiS and Konfederacja
The Law and Justice (PiS) club nominated Łukasz Piebiak, a former deputy justice minister under Zbigniew Ziobro. The Konfederacja club selected Łukasz Zawadzki, an Opole-based judge who, like Piebiak, is associated with the “Lawyers for Poland” association.
According to the KRS Act, the committee must include at least one candidate from every parliamentary club when establishing the final list for the Sejm’s consideration. This statutory requirement ensured the inclusion of both Piebiak and Zawadzki despite the ruling coalition’s majority.
PiS Boycott and Constitutional Tribunal Injunction
PiS lawmakers refused to participate in the committee vote, citing a Tuesday injunction from the Constitutional Tribunal. The tribunal ordered the Sejm to halt judicial appointments following a motion filed by PiS members regarding the constitutionality of current KRS regulations.
The legal challenge argues that the current selection process improperly limits the Sejm’s role to that of a “notary” that simply rubber-stamps decisions made by judicial circles. The PiS motion seeks to examine whether these provisions align with the Polish Constitution.