The ruling party of Poland had the opportunity to finally gain control of the Supreme Court, which became possible with the resignation of Malgorzata Gersdorf, who headed the body for six years.
It is reported by the BBC.
The scandalous judicial reform promoted by the Law and Justice party has long been the cause of disputes between Warsaw and Brussels. The reform, which undermined the independence of judges, became the reason that sanctions were even imposed on Poland.
The Polish authorities justify the change by saying that people were allegedly dissatisfied with the slowness and complexity of the judicial system. However, there is no evidence that the procedures have become more effective after four years of reform.
Patrick Wachowiec, a lawyer at the Analytical Forum for Civil Development Forum, noted in a BBC comment that the future of the independent Supreme Court of Poland is now in doubt.
“Always acting too late and trying to participate in debates in the face of flagrant violations of law and order, the “new” Supreme Court will ultimately share the fate of its colleague of the Constitutional Tribunal – loyal to the government, hostile to the people and not impartial”, – Vachovec said.
Malgorzata Gersdorf herself commented on the situation. Answering a question from journalists about whether Poland is an authoritarian state, Gersdorf replied,
“So far, I’m not sure, but we are striving for this”.