In this episode we address recent developments in Poland and the threat to judicial independence since Law and Justice came to power with Christian Davies of the Guardian. This is only part I of a mega Poland explainer — part II will go more into detail on what has happened to the Constitutional Tribunal and other judicial organs.

History minute: The Failure of Democratic Processes in Interwar Poland

Resources:

The conspiracy theorists who have taken over Poland, Christian Davies, The Guardian, 16 February 2016

How to Demolish and Independent Judiciary with the Help of a Constitutional Court, Marcin Matczak, Verfassungsblog, 23 June 2017

Poland and the European Commission, Part III, Laurent Pech & Kim Lane Scheppele, Verfassungsblog, 3 March 2017

Winter in Warsaw, Annabelle Chapman, The Spectator, 21 July 2016

Poland: Some Hope in the Midst of Chaos, Zselyke Csaky, Freedom at Issue, 19 December 2016

God’s Playground: A History of Poland, Norman Davies, Oxford University Press, 1981