The first reading of the draft amendments to the Supreme Court took place in the Sejm on Wednesday. This project exacerbated the conflict in the ruling camp, the changes are still opposed by Solidarna Polska. Law and Justice said it expected “support from the opposition”. The opposition has prepared joint amendments, said Borys Budka from the Civic Coalition from the Sejm rostrum.
On Wednesday, the Sejm deals with the draft amendments to the act on the Supreme Court PiS deputies. According to the authors, the proposed changes are to complete a key “milestone” for the European Commission to unlock funds from the National Recovery Plan (KPO).
During the debate at the first reading, Kazimierz Smoliński from PiS announced that his party supports the project “to the full”. We will support him in the further process. We expect support from the opposition. You often say that you support us and you will settle this money. We are checking whether you will vote for this bill – emphasized the MP.
Janusz Kowalski, a representative of Solidarna Polska, which is part of the United Right, announced during the debate that he would vote against these changes.
The opposition has the amendments, the Confederation wants to reject them entirely
Head of the Civic Coalition club Boris Budka He declared from the Sejm tribune: – We are ready to pass an amendment to the law on the Supreme Court at this session. The opposition has joint amendments ready, just finish this circus of yours inside the camp of the so-called United Right.
Anna Maria Żukowska from the Left said that she did not believe that this project was agreed with the European Commission and that it certainly meets all the requirements for unlocking KPO funds for Poland. – Why don’t I believe it? Because we already had such an example. After all, we heard a year ago, here in this meeting room, declarations related to the President’s project Andrzej Duda. It was also supposed to be a project that would settle the whole issue of restoring the rule of law in Poland and that the money from the KPO would be granted to Poland, unblocked. And it didn’t happen. So I really don’t trust, I don’t believe in these declarations.
Confederation submitted a motion to reject the project in its entirety.
According to the Sejm’s schedule, voting – including on this matter – is to take place in the afternoon voting block.
Amendment dispute
According to the draft, disciplinary and immunity cases of judges will be settled by the Supreme Administrative Court, and not – as currently – by the recently established Chamber of Professional Responsibility of the Supreme Court. The draft also provides for extending the scope of the so-called judge’s independence and impartiality test, which could be initiated not only by the party to the proceedings, but also ex officio by the court itself.
This draft was submitted by PiS deputies to the Sejm on December 13 last year. Two days after the draft was submitted, the president declared that he had neither participated in its preparation nor had he been consulted. He announced that he would not agree to solutions that undermine the constitutional system and would not allow any legal act to be introduced into the Polish legal system that would undermine judicial appointments or allow anyone to verify them.
The project was also criticized by the PiS coalition partner from the beginning – Solidarity Poland.
The Sejm was originally supposed to conduct its first reading before Christmas, but the bill was then removed from the agenda.
Main photo source: PAP/Radek Pietruszka