EU intervenes to halt abuse of Polish judges

Reacting to the news that the European Commission has requested that the Court of Justice of the EU (CJEU) issue interim measures to stop the draconian disciplinary regime which threatens the independence of Poland’s judiciary, Eve Geddie, Director of the Amnesty International, European Institutions Office, said:

“The situation facing the Polish judiciary is incredibly grave. European intervention is vital to stop the Polish government’s continued assault on the judges and prosecutors who are speaking out against the crackdown on their rights and freedoms.”

“Last Saturday judges and lawyers from across Europe marched through Warsaw in protest at the extraordinary attacks on the judiciary in Poland. Amnesty International calls on Polish lawmakers to reject the proposal which sparked the protest. If adopted, it would impose severe restrictions on judges’ rights to freedom of expression and association and further undermine the independence of Poland’s judiciary, putting at risk the right to access to justice.”

The European Commission requested that the CJEU issue interim measures against Poland in view of ongoing proceedings on the misuse of disciplinary proceedings against judges. The EC referred this case to the Court of Justice in October 2019.

This week the European Parliament is also expected to call on the Council and EC to act with more urgency in defense of human rights and rule of law in both Hungary and Poland, as the situation in both countries continues to deteriorate.

For more information or to arrange an interview, contact Alison Abrahams on alison.abrahams@amnesty.org +32 2 548 27 73 or +32 483 680 812

The Polish Senate is this week discussing the adoption of the latest law, proposed in December and is expected to vote on this on Friday. If rejected, the lower house of the Polish Parliament (Sejm) is expected to vote on it again next week.