Constitutional Tribunal reform. Intense debate in the Sejm

The Sejm is deeply divided over the proposed changes to the Constitutional Tribunal, with heated discussions during the second reading of the draft law and accompanying provisions.

During most of today's debate in the Sejm, the plenary hall was virtually empty, with MPs briefly filling the benches in larger numbers.

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The proposed reforms aim to depoliticize the Tribunal and restore rule of law by introducing a 3/5 supermajority requirement for selecting judges, a move supported by the Civic Coalition, Poland 2050, and PSL.

In contrast, the opposition, including Law and Justice (PiS), criticizes the proposals, alleging they seek to capture the Tribunal for the new government and include unconstitutional measures such as removing the current president and invalidating certain rulings. A vote on the projects is expected soon.

The proposed changes involve nullifying three existing laws related to the Tribunal's functioning and declaring rulings made by unauthorized judges as null and void. The reforms would also allow current judges to retire, with the exception of those deemed unauthorized, and require the presentation of a presidential candidate for president chosen by the General Assembly of Judges.

Additional changes include expanding the General Assembly's powers and broadening the pool of candidates for judges. The draft is currently under review in the Sejm, while the Senate is working on constitutional amendments related to the Tribunal.

?Sejm. Trwają prace nad projektami dot. Trybunału Konstytucyjnego.

?Sprawozdanie Komisji Sprawiedliwości i Praw Człowieka o poselskim projekcie ustawy o Trybunale Konstytucyjnym przedstawił poseł @20Jaskulski.
ℹ️Szczegóły projektu: https://t.co/OcMi8u7L6W

?Sprawozdanie… pic.twitter.com/jpwj5Qn30Y

— Sejm RP?￰ﾟﾇﾱ (@KancelariaSejmu) July 23, 2024

Source: IAR/PAP/x.com/@KancelariaSejmu

(mp)