Prosecutors Respond to Actions by Adam Bodnar and the National Council of Prosecutors
The response from prosecutors highlights concerns about the controversial move to reject the apolitical composition of the National Council of Prosecutors (KRP), an advisory body to the Attorney General. The special resolution issued by the meeting of prosecutors within the National Prosecutor’s Office underscores what it views as an illegal act by the Minister of Justice and presents a stance of independent investigators as principled and courageous.
Initial reporting by the wPolityce.pl portal drew attention to Adam Bodnar’s maneuvers within the KRP. On December 15, Bodnar removed seasoned investigators from the Council and replaced them with individuals tied to politically charged networks, including members associated with the organization “Lex Super Omnia.” The question arises whether this was a purge and whether external pressures influenced the selection of new members. The contents of correspondence from legal members of the KRP suggest a troubling backdrop to the wider discussion, including the case of Ewa Wrzosek.
The Assembly of Prosecutors from the National Public Prosecutor’s Office, acting pursuant to Article 45 of Law 2 of January 28, 2016, on the Law on Public Prosecutions, expressed its opposition to actions taken by the Attorney General that altered the composition of the National Council of Prosecutors during the current term. On December 15, 2023, the National Public Prosecution Service received letters from the Attorney General regarding the dismissal of certain officials from the National Public Prosecution Service. Among those named were Dr. Czesław Klak, a retired prosecutor, Dr. Grzegorz Ocieczek, a prosecutor from the National Prosecutor’s Office, Beata Sobieraj-Skonieczna, a prosecutor from the National Prosecutor’s Office, Michał Ostrowski, and Adam Zbieranek. The legal justification cited in these documents referred to Article 42, § 6, point 4, of the same law. The Assembly contends that the Attorney General lacked the authority to execute these actions while the term was ongoing, and thus the measures taken were not legitimately grounded in current law.
– this is stated in the resolution.
Considering these elements, the Assembly of Prosecutors of the National Public Prosecutor’s Office concluded that the named prosecutors had not faced actual legal consequences, effectively meaning they had not been formally dismissed from the Council. The asserted legal basis did not apply to the members who were appointed to the Council, creating doubts about the legitimacy of the “new” five appointments, given the absence of a vacancy that would justify such a decision.
– the prosecutors note.
Adam Bodnar appears to have believed that the prosecutors of the Public Prosecution Service would endorse his decisions without question. That assumption proved unfounded. Independent investigators, whose work and independence are essential to accountability, deserve continued respect and protection.