Associations of Polish judges on Friday called upon jugdes, lawyers and citizens to take part in Saturday's "Thousand Robes March". The event has been organised, among other things, in protest against planned court reforms by the nationalist Law and Justice government. The bill in question has been already approved by lower house and now is being processed by the Senate.
On Saturday at 3pm, judges and lawyers from Poland and other European states are set to march through the streets of Warsaw - they say - to protect the independence of courts. The march is planned to go under the motto: "Right to independence. Right to Europe". Earlier on Saturday, a press conference is to take place in the Supreme Court seat, including judges from European countries. Among the organisers of the "Thousand Robes March" is Polish Judges Association "Iustitia".
""It's not a common thing for us to walk out in robes to protest against taking the right to fair trial away from the people, against taking away peoples' fundamental rights, and destroying the separation of powers," the chairman of "Iustitia" judge Krystian Markiewicz said on Friday. He added there would be definitely more than a thousand judges present at the march.
Judge Waldemar Żurek from Judges Associacion "Themis" said that the latest court laws amendment is aimed at "closing the system".
"What if, as a result of laws such as this one, we would be pushed outside the common EU legal market? Polish lawyers must not allow the courts to depend on politicians' mercy," judge Żurek said.
"Above all, we must be good citizens and our place is at the march, on Saturday, in front of the Supreme Court," said Maria Ejchart-Dubois from the "Free Courts" Initiative.
The organisers encourage citizens to support and join in the march which is set to go from the Supreme Court's seat to the Sejm. Among organisations which declared their participation are: Akcja Demokracja, Nationwide Women's Strike, Helsinki Foundation for Human Rights, Committee for the Defense of Democracy and Amnesty International.
Venice Commission in Warsaw
Venice Commission delegation, which includes experts from Bulgaria, Ireland, Sweden and Germany, came to Warsaw on Thursday for two-day talks in order to formulate an opinion regarding planned amendment of laws on Polish courts.
Due to the fact the bill is already being processed by the Senate, the Commission decided to issue its opinion in an expedited mode.
"The Venice Commission has visited Poland either unofficially or privately," presidential aide Paweł Mucha said on Friday. He added that President Duda would be closely monitoring all materials regarding the bill amending laws on courts.
Minister Mucha also stressed that the constitutional prerogative to run foreing policy lies in the hands of the government and the president. "The Senate Speaker, on the other hand, has no prerogative with regards to foreign policy," he said.
Invitation to musem
Deputy Minister of Justice Marcin Warchoł on Friday informed in a letter addressed to the Venice Commission delegation that the Polish government wouldn't provide any information regarding planned court reforms as it would violate both Polish Constitution and the Commission's Statute.
"We are forced to consider the visit by Commission's delegation as unofficial and informal," he explained.
Deputy Minister Warchoł reassured, however, that Polish government would be ready to provide the Venice Commission with all details regarding planned reforms, as long as its delegation would come to Poland officially.
Furthermore, he wrote: "Due to unofficial and informal character of the visit we are prepared to invite You, as the Commission's representatives, to visit the Museum of Cursed Soldiers and Political Prisoners of the Polish People's Republic".
Autor: gf / Źródło: TVN24 News in English, PAP
Źródło zdjęcia głównego: TVN24