Huge row over the Supreme Court. Opposition sings the national anthem after the debate

The Wednesday night session of the Committee was exceptionally turbulent, as recommendations before Thursday's vote were voted on 1,300 amendments to the draft law on the Supreme Court proposed by PiS MPs during the second reading of the bill.

Shortly before midnight, all PiS amendments were approved by the Committee in a single vote. Waldemar Buda (PiS) had submitted the motion to adopt such a procedure. "This is a scandal and a violation of Sejm rules," protested the opposition. Its motion against such voting was rejected. Earlier, a representative of the Legislative Office of the Sejm was asked for an opinion on the matter. "It is up to the Committee to decide," he declared.

Chairman of the Committee, Stanisław Piotrowicz (PiS) announced that most of the amendments proposed by PiS were legislative in nature, and were designed to make the law clearer, while only a few "were significant". One of the PiS amendments implies the extension of the project's vacatio legis from 14 days to 30 days. Another one stipulates that the regulations governing the operation of the Supreme Court would be determined by the President in his order, rather than by the Minister of Justice. Yet another – suggested by President Andrzej Duda – stipulates that the President, rather than the Minister of Justice (as originally proposed), would decide who, from among the current Supreme Court judges, would remain in office after the adoption of the new law. The President's proposal that judges be appointed to the National Council of the Judiciary by a 3/5 majority of Sejm deputies was also submitted as a PiS amendment.

Shortly thereafter, the Committee rejected all amendments proposed by opposition clubs – PO, Nowoczesna, PSL and Kukiz'15 – in several block votes. The opposition protested against block voting. The voting procedure was received with shouts of "ORMO, ZOMO, censorship," "No consent to such methods," "You’re making Kaczyński a dictator." Some MPs sang the national anthem.

Some opposition MPs surrounded the chairman's table and announced they would not leave until the chairman ordered resumption of voting. "You behave like an MP in Stalin's time," said Borys Budka (PO) to Piotrowicz. He submitted a motion for the meeting to be chaired by Tomasz Rzymkowski (Kukiz'15), instead of the Committee's chairman. He said the proceedings were illegal.

"It is you who are breaking order. You are breaking the Constitution," responded Marek Suski (PiS). Piotrowicz asked the MPs many times to return to their seats and control their emotions, to no avail. One of the chairman's microphones was seized by a member of the opposition and was held by Ryszard Petru (Nowoczesna). Suski held the other, guarding it against opposition politicians. The situation lasted many minutes. Cries were heard: "Suski, give back the microphone!", followed by: "Petru, give back the microphone!”. Crumpled sheets with the amendments were tossed on the chairman's table. About half past midnight Piotrowicz closed the session. According to the opposition, voting on the amendments in blocks, according to club membership, rather than on the merits of the amendments themselves, "was absurd." Barbara Dolniak (Nowoczesna) said that, according to the Sejm's Rules of Procedure, block voting is permissible only if the adoption or rejection of the amendments affects other amendments. Budka said that amendments could not be subjected to a single vote, if they also affected the selection of the National Council of the Judiciary members, and were not included among the amendments to the law on the Supreme Court submitted by MPs from the PiS club. "If you continue along this path, tomorrow you will throw in the fuel charge along with the Code of Civil Procedure," he said.

Earlier, the Committee struck down motions submitted by PO, PSL and Nowoczesna to reject the draft law on the Supreme Court in its entirety. By this time, the opposition MPs had already surrounded the chairman's table. Piotrowicz ordered a five-minute break "to calm down emotions", but the tension kept rising.

Kamila Gasiuk-Pihowicz (Nowoczesna) argued that the draft law was unconstitutional, and even the proceedings were questionable. "All you want is people and control over the judiciary," she added. Budka said that the draft law was unconstitutional, was fit for the wastepaper basket only, and was not saved by the President's amendments. Chairman of the National Council of the Judiciary, Dariusz Zawistowski, urged the MPs "not to consider this draft law in a hurry." "Today is your 65th birthday, but we are not celebrating. This is a day of mourning and funeral,” Michał Szczerba (PO) said to Piotrowicz. He argued that the draft law on the Supreme Court “was an unconstitutional assault on the political system of the state."

The Committee also rejected the opposition's motions to adjourn the proceedings. The Committee's decision to restrict the time available for discussion to one minute per speech was criticised. Members of the opposition insisted that they had not been able to familiarize themselves with all the amendments. MP Jerzy Jachnik (Kukiz'15) told them: "You are behaving like circus clowns".

Robert Kropiwnicki (PO) wanted to adjourn the meeting until 10 September, so as to leave enough time for the Bureau of Research of the Sejm to prepare a report. Another reason for the adjournment was the need for MPs to familiarize themselves with the many amendments.

Several dozen protesters stayed in front of the Sejm building through the night. After the session ended, some of the opposition MPs went to meet the protesters. They recounted the events in the Sejm, invited the protesters to the evening rally in front of the Presidential Palace on Thursday, and asked them to be present in front of the Sejm in the morning.

Źródło: tvn24.pl/tłumaczenie Intertext.com.pl