Commissioner for Human Rights

„I believe that the recently generated great energy of the citizens may also be used to control staffing decisions in the judiciary sector at every level: the appointments of judges, court presidents, heads of court departments, spokespersons, etc. What should be ensured is the transparency of procedures, assessment of qualifications of candidates, explanations of unclear decision. Non-governmental organizations know how to do it, they have experience. It is important to combine this experience with the energy generated by the protests. Only in this way will it be possible to minimize the possible negative effects of the Act on the System of Common Courts”, said Adam Bodnar having learned about the Presidential veto of the two acts (on the Supreme Court and on the National Council of Judiciary) and about the possible approval, by the head of state, of the Act on Common Courts.

“At the same time, I would like to emphasize that the Polish society, taking part in the protests regarding the independence of courts, has given the courts a large credit of trust. The society defended the courts but it also sees the shortcomings of the system of justice, which are sometimes a result of poor work organization, as well as improper communication with citizens. There are a lot of documents developed by non-governmental organizations, with regard to how to improve the work of courts without waiting for parliamentary acts’ amendments. This is about the approach of individual judges, their understanding of judge’s role and service provided to the society. The judges should pay off their debt to the society as soon as possible”