The newest overhaul of the Polish justice system has a "chilling effect" on the judiciary and may negatively affect judges' ability to express their voice, the United Nation's human rights spokesman Rupert Colville said on Friday (December 20).
Poland's lower house of parliament approved the latest reform of the judiciary on Friday, despite the European Commission calling it to hold off adopting a law which it says would imperil the rule of law.
"It is so restrictive that it may impact very much on the willingness to get involved in important and legitimate legal arguments and discussions," Colville said at a news briefing in Geneva, commenting on the Law and Justice (PiS) party reform.
The draft legislation included disciplinary measures for judges who have questioned the independence of peers nominated by a panel set up under new rules drawn up by the PiS-dominated parliament.
The European Commission asked on Friday (December 20) Poland to hold off adopting the draft law until Warsaw consults the Venice Commission of constitutional law experts of the Council of Europe.
The Commission, the guardian of European Union treaties that trump all national laws, also said that before proceeding with the draft law on judges, Polish authorities should consider available case law of the European Court of Justice, signaling existing rulings contradicted the planned Polish legislation.
The lower house approved the legislation on Friday and now it goes to the opposition-controlled upper chamber, the Senate, where anti-PiS parties will demonstrate for the first time since the October elections their ability to delay the ruling party's legislation.
Autor: gf / Źródło: TVN24 News in English, Reuters
Źródło zdjęcia głównego: tvn24