Disciplinary system for Polish judges deemed illegal

The disciplinary system for judges in Poland is against EU law, says the European Court of Justice Advocate General in an Opinion published today.

"This is yet another blow to the so-called judiciary reform prepared by Mr Kaczynski, Mr Ziobro and their proxies. It shows that the system put in place in Poland, including a sham Disciplinary Chamber of the Supreme Court, has nothing to do with an independent judiciary. Instead, the PiS-led government is leading a systematic destruction of the rule of law in Poland and an increasing repression of those judges and prosecutors who defend the rule of law, the Polish Constitution and standards of European law. It also shows that any decision that this illegal Chamber takes today against Supreme Court Judge Włodzimierz Wróbel will not be considered as valid", warned Jeroen Lenaers MEP, EPP Group Spokesman on Civil Liberties.

The EPP Group expects the European Commission and Member States to draw immediate conclusions towards the increasingly autocratic PiS-led government in Poland.

"The PiS-led government's political interference in the judiciary is destroying Europe's trust in the legal system in Poland. The Polish Government must turn back from its undemocratic path, take full account of the recommendations of the Venice Commission with regard to the justice system and swiftly and fully implement the rulings of the ECJ as well as the rulings of the European Court of Human Rights", concluded Lenaers.