If you are a Polish judge and you intend to apply European standards on judicial independence, think twice. You are facing suspension, as well as disciplinary and criminal proceedings. Either the end of your career or, at best, a long and unpleasant break. This is the situation in Poland, a European Union Member State, at the dawn of the 21st century.

Mateusz Morawiecki’s close associates have prepared a ready interview attacking the judges who ruled unfavourably for the prime minister during the local elections. It was published by the pro-government portal wPolityce.pl run by the brothers Jacek and Michał Karnowski.

Polish and international civil society organisations write to the President of the Commission and the commissioners responsible for the Rule of Law, requesting an infringement action as regards the National Council of the Judiciary

‘I would very much like them to be shorter and very succinct, using words such as: we cannot allow legal chaos, conjugating this through all cases, and using the thesaurus, namely anarchy, disorder, inertia, mess,’ Morawiecki wrote.

Judge Waldemar Żurek heard as many as 64 disciplinary charges today from Disciplinary Commissioners Piotr Schab and Michał Lasota. They are also not ruling out notifying the public prosecutor’s office because they claim that Żurek committed a ‘falsification of judgments’. This applies to the dates on some of the court’s decisions being the same as the dates on which Żurek was present at NCJ meetings in Warsaw. Meanwhile, he adjudicates in Kraków.

“As a coalition of legal and human rights associations operating in the area of the protection of human rights, associating, among others, the most important associations of judges in Poland, we are writing to you about the implementation of the rulings of the EU Court of Justice by the Polish authorities in the context of the negotiations on the approval of the Polish National Recovery Plan (NRP) and the conditions for subsequent disbursements from the Reconstruction Fund.”

Never before have the judges in Europe been so unified and united,’ says Monika Frąckowiak, judge of the District Court in Poznań.

This means that Łukasz Piebiak has completely lost his influence in the new NCJ. There was always a fierce conflict between him and Pawełczyk-Woicka,’ one of the judges who wish to remain anonymous tells Onet. Others emphasise that the choice of the new head of the NCJ could result in the ‘handover’ of the Council to Zbigniew Ziobro in practice. ‘After all, Dagmara is not only his school friend, but also one of his closest collaborators,’ they point out.

The law is not only reacting to current events but is also anticipating upcoming challenges. In the face of all current threats, what we need above all is a sense of responsibility and solidarity – prof. Adam Bodnar reminded students at the NYU

Insults addressed to independent judges, ‘jokes’ about Jews, insults addressed to ‘moron’ teachers, some of whom need to be ‘kicked the f**k out…’ – this is how the judges from the new NCJ, the disciplinary commissioners and judges from the ministry of justice spoke [OKO.press’s and Onet’s investigation].