Lawyer Bartosz Lewandowski, who defends Justice Minister Zbigniew Ziobra, is named as an author of President Karol Nawrocki’s judicial reform bill, prompting him to explain his role.
Lewandowski Named as Author of Judicial Reform Bill
Lawyer Marcin Szwed reported that Bartosz Lewandowski, associated with the right-wing Ordo Iuris institute, was listed as the author of President Karol Nawrocki’s “turbo-kagańcowa” judicial reform bill. Lewandowski has recently represented Justice Minister Zbigniew Ziobra and Marcin Romanowski.
Lewandowski Explains His Role in Drafting the Bill
Lewandowski clarified that his personal contribution was the changes regarding the “skarga na przewlekłość” (complaint about delay). He stated that he advised the President pro bono several months ago but did not know the final form of the project before it was sent to parliament. He also noted that he had no knowledge of which version of the file was posted on the presidential website.
Previous Praise of the Law
Many users pointed out that Lewandowski had previously praised the bill without mentioning his role as a co-author. He had written that the bill “takes the citizen’s perspective,” “is consistent with the case law of the CJEU,” and praised the President for recognizing that the consequences of prolonged proceedings cannot burden citizens. He specifically highlighted the inclusion of the “skarga na przewlekłość” provision, which he now admits he himself inserted into the project.
President Nawrocki Presents Judicial Reform Bill
On Thursday, February 19, President Karol Nawrocki vetoed a government bill on the National Council of the Judiciary and presented his own bill “on restoring the right to a court and hearing a case without undue delay.” It is based on three principles: impartiality of courts, non-revocation of judgments, and confirmation of the status of properly nominated judges. Nawrocki stated that if “dialogue proposals are rejected,” he would like to hold a “referendum to restore normal functioning of the courts.”
Justice Minister Criticizes the Bill
Justice Minister Waldemar Żurek commented on Friday that President Nawrocki’s bill is a “ustawa kagańcowa bis” (a muzzle law version 2). He stated it’s a “strange creature” that is “more disgusting than what Minister Ziobro invented,” adding that it’s “not just a muzzle, but a leash for Polish judges.” The bill provides for a prison sentence of up to 10 years for a judge who refuses to participate in a judicial panel. Sejm Marshal Włodzimierz Czarzasty reported that legal experts consider the bill to violate judicial independence and the separation of powers, and is poorly written. He decided to conduct broad consultations on the bill and submit it for an opinion to the Venice Commission.
