Work on the draft introducing the establishment of tribunals and justices of the peace in the Polish legal order is very difficult due to the fact that the draft amends several dozen laws, the head of the parliamentary subcommittee, Kazimierz Smoliński, stressed. There is a chance that the subcommittee’s work will end on Monday – he added.
Subcommittee work
On Tuesday, the subcommittee for the establishment of the Institute of Justices of the Peace returned to work on the project launched Monday, aimed at introducing the Institute of Courts and Justices of the Peace in the Polish legal order.
The chairman of the subcommittee, Kazimierz Smoliński, said in an interview with PAP.PL on Tuesday that working on the bill is very difficult due to the fact that it changes several dozen laws. He added that he scheduled the next subcommittee meetings on Friday and Monday.
There is a chance that we will finish the work in the subcommittee on Monday
– reviewed the PiS MP.
Possibility to be admitted this term
When Smoliński was asked if he believed it would be possible to handle the changes during this Sejm term, he said yes. As he added, upon completion of work in the subcommittee, the draft will go to the Justice and Human Rights Committee.
I am convinced that the Commission will shortly submit this draft to the Sejm and it will be adopted
– added.
Elections of judges likely with European Parliament elections
The next Justices of the Peace elections may not take place until next year, together with the European Parliament elections. The National Electoral Commission is also of the opinion that it is impossible to combine (elections of justices of the peace) with parliamentary or local government elections. As it will be May 2024, we assume that these judges will start their duties in 2025
said Smolinski.
What about pilots?
The MP was also asked about the subcommittee’s withdrawal of the amendment introducing a pilot program for the Institute of Justices of the Peace, which was to start on July 1, 2024. It was to be held in Opole, one of the country’s smallest judicial districts.
We have now exited the pilot
he noticed. In return, he added, the subcommittee wants to extend the law’s vacatio legis so that judges can begin their work in 2025.
The pilot started the problem that it would be difficult to establish a joint term of office of the judges later on. If we had judges in the pilot, it would have to last five or six years, which is the length of the term of office of justices of the peace. Or perform such acrobatics that these pilots’ mandates should expire and there should be a second election. This is a problem that is difficult to solve and that is why there is a different approach
said Smolinski.
Solution-oriented work on justices of the peace was initially carried out by a team led by Prof. Piotr Kruszyński, who started working after talks between Kukiz’15 leader Paweł Kukiz and President Duda.
The first reading of the draft developed in the President’s Chancellery took place in the Sejm in December 2021. The draft was then sent to the Sejm Committee and Subcommittee. The introduction of the Institute of Justices of the Peace is one of Kukiz’15’s most important program proposals.
The Courts and Justices of the Peace initiative creates such courts as a new category within the ordinary judiciary. They would deal with the simplest of cases and would be tried by judges elected to six-year terms by universal suffrage.
PAP’s entire conversation with Kazimierz Smoliński.
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rm/PAP
Source: wPolityce