Prosecutors' investigations and trials take longer than in recent years. The changes to the judiciary introduced by Law and Justice, so far, did not shorten the duration of legal proceedings.
Longer wait
One of the chief arguments raised in favour of the judiciary changes that are ongoing since Law and Justice came to power in 2015 was a necessity to improve the quality of legal proceedings and to shorten their duration.
The ruling party promised, among other things, to shorten the waiting time for court trials.
Prosecutors' investigations and trials take longer than in recent years. The changes to the judiciary introduced by Law and Justice, so far, did not meet the expectations of citizens and voters.
In 2017, the average duration of a court trial was 5.5 months and 4.7 the previous year, according to the Ministry of Justice. Both figures are higher than the average time from 2011-2015 period.
The National Public Prosecutor, Bogdan Święczkowski explains that, first and foremost, the prosecutors must be accurate, not fast.
Deputy Justice Minister says that courts have to deal with more and more difficult cases and that's why they need more time for proper examination.
Changes despite critique
Polish President Andrzej Duda has signed into law a measure effectively allowing the government to choose the next Supreme Court chief, despite street protests and accusations at home and from the EU that it infringes judicial independence.
The European Union, human rights groups and the opposition have all objected but the ruling Law and Justice (PiS) party says an overhaul is needed to make the courts more efficient and eradicate the residual influence of Poland's communist past.
This month 22 Supreme Court judges were forced into early retirement but chief Judge Malgorzata Gersdorf has refused to go, saying her constitutional term does not expire until 2020.
The legal amendment is designed to make it easier to name the new Supreme Court head.
Since the nationalist PiS won power in 2015, dozens of judges have been effectively dismissed from the Constitutional Tribunal, the National Judiciary Council, which decides judicial appointments, and now the Supreme Court.
New appointments have used procedures that give parliament, where the PiS has a majority, greater say over the courts and the government more control over judges.
The European Commission is running an unprecedented rule of law investigation and has opened several separate legal cases against Poland, the largest former communist EU state, including some over the Supreme Court.
Autor: gf / Źródło: TVN24 International, Reuters
Źródło zdjęcia głównego: TVN24 International