| Publisher | Cardiff University |
|---|---|
| Series Title | ESO In Focus |
| Series Details | July 2017 |
| Publication Date | 24/07/2017 |
| Content Type | News |
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Background and further information: Despite the approval by the national parliament in July 2017, the proposals needed the endorsement of the president before becoming law. Polish President Andrzej Duda decided to veto two of the measures while approving a third, which provides the justice minister with the right to name the heads of the country's lower courts. Mr Duda pointed out that, while a supporter of the judicial reform, this needed to be undertaken according to the Constitution. The two vetoed proposals related to the selection of Supreme Court judges by the justice minister and to the political control over the selection of those who sit on the National Judiciary Council, which nominated the Supreme Court judges. The reforms were set to return for amendment to parliament, where they require a three-fifths majority to go through unchanged. The government led by the Law and Justice (PiS) party expressed its disappointment over the veto, also because it does not enjoy such a majority in the parliament. Members of the opposition highligthed the role of protests in influencing the decision. The judicial reform had been closely followed by the European Commission, which threatened the triggering of Article 7 mechanism on rule of law. Poland's President Andrzej Duda announced on 24 July 2017 he had decided to veto two of the three proposals included in a legislative package aimed at reforming the country's judicial system. The decision was announced following a series of protests across Poland against the measures approved by the Parliament on 20 July 2017. On the 25 September 2017 President Duda proposed changes to the country’s constitution amid the row over sweeping legal reforms that had caused protests at home and warnings from the European Commission. He presented his own versions of the two draft bills that he had refused to sign into law in July 2017. European Commissioner Frans Timmermans, the first vice president of the European Commission, responsible for monitoring Poland’s judiciary reforms, said he would 'carefully examine' the Polish President's proposals. |
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| Countries / Regions | Poland |
