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Stanisław Biernat: President's motion on competence dispute. Lawlessness continues
🇵🇱 Poland /Elections & Politics

Stanisław Biernat: President's motion on competence dispute. Lawlessness continues

From Rzeczpospolita · (4h ago) Polish Critical tone

Translated from Polish, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

TLDR

  • The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) ordered Poland to refrain from hindering four Constitutional Tribunal judges appointed by the Sejm.
  • Poland's President has filed a motion with the Constitutional Tribunal to resolve a dispute over the swearing-in of these judges, effectively suspending the issue.
  • Critics argue the President's motion is a legal maneuver to delay proceedings and avoid his constitutional duty to swear in the judges.

Rzeczpospolita critically analyzes the Polish President's actions regarding the swearing-in of Constitutional Tribunal judges, framing it as a continuation of "lawlessness."

Europejski Trybunał Praw Człowieka w Strasburgu 5 maja 2026 r. nakazał Polsce tymczasowe zapewnienie, że jej właściwe władze powstrzymają się od utrudniania objęcia i wykonywania obowiązków sędziowskich przez czworo sędziów Trybunału Konstytucyjnego wybranych przez Sejm 13 marca 2026 r.

— RzeczpospolitaReporting the European Court of Human Rights' order regarding Polish judges.

The article details the ECHR's order for Poland to allow four judges, elected by the Sejm on March 13, 2026, to assume their duties. This ruling imposes obligations on the President to organize their swearing-in ceremony and allow them to perform their functions.

prezydent skierował do TK wniosek o rozstrzygnięcie sporu kompetencyjnego między nim a Sejmem RP, dotyczącego ślubowania sędziów.

— Zbigniew BoguckiExplaining the President's action to file a motion with the Constitutional Tribunal.

However, the President's office, through the head of the Chancellery, Zbigniew Bogucki, announced a motion filed with the Constitutional Tribunal to resolve a "competence dispute" between the President and the Sejm concerning the swearing-in. Rzeczpospolita argues this move is a deliberate tactic to suspend the issue, as any matter under Tribunal review is effectively put on hold.

Wniosek robi wrażenie napisanego na kolanie i jest prawniczo nie do obrony w świetle konstytucji i dotychczasowego orzecznictwa, ale nie o to w nim chodzi.

— RzeczpospolitaCritiquing the legal quality and intent of the President's motion.

The publication strongly criticizes the President's motion, calling it "written on a knee" and legally indefensible. It suggests the President aims to prolong the situation indefinitely, creating a scenario where he can claim inability to act due to the ongoing Tribunal proceedings. The article points out the lack of a genuine legal dispute, arguing that the President's constitutional duty is clear, and his actions are designed to circumvent rather than resolve the issue. This perspective aligns with a critical view of the current government's approach to the rule of law in Poland.

W świetle art. 4 ust. 1 ustawy o statusie sędziów TK prezydent ma obowiązek zorganizowania ślubowania sędziów Trybunału.

— RzeczpospolitaStating the President's constitutional duty regarding the swearing-in of judges.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Rzeczpospolita in Polish. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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