| Series Title | Radio Poland |
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| Series Details | 09.12.15 |
| Publication Date | 09/12/2015 |
| Content Type | News |
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Poland's Constitutional Tribunal (Constitutional Court) ruled on the 9 December 2015 that the imminent replacement of several Tribunal judges with new judges closely affiliated to the new national-conservative PiS government was unconstitutional. Opponents and supporters of Poland's new ruling conservative party marched in large numbers through the streets of Warsaw on the 12 and 13 December 2015 respectively. The rallies came in the context of the constitutional crisis. In this context, European Parliament president Martin Schulz compared the political situation in Poland to a 'coup', drawing the anger of the Polish government. Further pro-democracy rallies took place in Warsaw, other cities in Poland, plus Brussels, Berlin, London and Tokyo on the 19 December 2015. EurActiv and other news sources reported that the lower house of the Polish parliament had passed a constitutional court law amendment on the 22 December 2015 affecting the Constitutional Tribunal (Passed by the upper house on the 24 December 2015). This legislation proposed by the ruling Law and Justice (PiS) party would require the Constitutional Tribunal to pass decisions with a two-thirds majority and at least thirteen of fifteen judges present. The Tribunal had suggested that the new law interfered with the court's independence and aimed to hinder its proper functioning. The Polish ombudsman and the Helsinki foundation appealed to the President of Poland to send the bill related to Constitutional Tribunal to the Tribunal before signing it. The EU and the Council of Europe expressed misgivings. Radio Poland reported on its website on the 26 December 2015 that Polish Foreign Minister Witold Waszczykowski had asked the Venice Commission (of the Council of Europe) for an opinion on the legal solutions contained in the amendments to the Constitutional Tribunal. |
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| Source Link | http://www.thenews.pl/1/9/Artykul/232240,PiS-amendments-to-Constitutional-Tribunal-under-fire |
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| Countries / Regions | Poland |
