Polish President Watches Supreme Court Reform Move Through Parliament
President Andrzej Duda is watching the process to amend the Supreme Court law as it moves through parliament. A government spokesman said the president will decide after the bill completes its parliamentary journey, highlighting that discussions between the presidency and the government are highly active.
The Senate has addressed the amendment to the Supreme Court Act. On Monday, the Senate’s Human Rights, Rule of Law, Petitions and Legislative Committees voted in favor of the proposal, alongside fourteen amendments put forward by the Senate majority.
President in Latvia
A senior official from the President’s Office of International Policy was asked whether consultations between the President and the government on the issue are ongoing, and whether Duda is nearing a decision on the amendment. The reply indicated that the focus is on the visit to Latvia, where discussing the future of KPO with the Polish government would be challenging.
The minister noted that Andrzej Duda is engaged in a multi-day trip to Riga, starting Tuesday, and stressed that the president is overseeing work on the amendment.
There is awareness that the bill is currently in the Senate’s hands. The question remains what shape the bill will take when it leaves the Senate and, subsequently, the Sejm, after which the president will make decisions.
The presidential minister added that contacts between the President, the Chancellery, and the Government are very intense and ongoing during this period.
Assumptions of the Amendment
The Sejm approved an amendment to the law on the Supreme Court on January 13, dismissing all opposition amendments. According to its authors, members of the governing party view the amendment as a key milestone for the European Commission to release funds for the national reconstruction plan.
Under the amendment, disciplinary and immunity cases of judges would be resolved by the Supreme Administrative Court, rather than by the Chamber of Professional Responsibility of the Supreme Court as before. The NSA would also gain authority to decide immunity cases involving judges from all courts. The amendment also introduces changes to how the independence and impartiality of judges are reviewed, with some aspects handled by the Supreme Administrative Court.
On January 20, President Duda said he was awaiting the outcome of parliament’s work on the Supreme Court law calmly. He noted that the measure is not a presidential initiative but a government project.
“I am not the host of this bill. Under current regulations, I do not have the power to make changes at the parliamentary stage; only the applicant and the legislators can do that,” he reminded on TVP. He added that he would review the bill thoroughly once it reaches his desk.
He also emphasized that he would not support solutions that undermine the constitutional framework or introduce legal acts that could harm judicial appointments or undermine the ability to verify them.
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MPR