EU court upholds fines against Poland over judicial reform

The European Court of Justice has upheld the European Commission’s financial penalties imposed on Poland over its controversial judicial reforms, confirming the fines related to the Disciplinary Chamber of the Supreme Court.

The European Court of Justice.

Shutterstock/nitpicker

The court rejected a complaint by Poland’s previous government, ruling that the Commission lawfully began enforcing fines from mid-July 2022 until early June 2023.

In mid-July 2021, the EU court had declared that the Disciplinary Chamber was not a court and ordered its immediate suspension.

When Poland failed to comply, the Commission imposed daily fines of EUR 1 million– later reduced to EUR 500,000 from April 2023. In total, the fines now amount to EUR 556 million, though initial reports cited a figure of EUR 320 million.

The ruling confirms the validity of the penalties, but it is not yet final. Poland has two months to appeal the decision.

(jh)

Source: IAR