Justice Minister Waldemar Żurek moves to strip court judges of immunity
Poland's Justice Minister asked to strip immunity from the Constitutional Court's top two judges. This would allow charges against them.
Riot police were sent to Poland's Constitutional Court on Friday. Tensions grew between Prime Minister Donald Tusk's government and judges appointed by previous right-wing leaders.
Justice Minister Waldemar Żurek asked to strip immunity from two judges: the court's president, Bogdan Święczkowski, and vice-president, Bartłomiej Sochański. The court said these actions were a coup.
President Karol Nawrocki, backed by the opposition Law and Justice party, cancelled a trip to Senegal. He came back to Warsaw and entered the court building.
Tusk has promised to remove politics from the courts. The Law and Justice party changed them when it was in power from 2015 onwards.
Tusk's government has faced rulings from European courts. They said the reforms made the Constitutional Court less independent and fair.
- Bogdan Święczkowski
- Court President
- Bartłomiej Sochański
- Court Vice-President
- 2015 onwards
- Law and Justice in power
- 3 by Law and Justice
- Judges improperly appointed
Why it mattersThe Constitutional Court decides if laws are legal. Power over it is key to political control and Poland's rule of law.
AustraliaNo direct effect on Australia, but Poland's judicial crisis reflects tensions over democratic independence playing out across Europe.
✓ Claims checked against the source and corrected before publish. checked 3 h ago
