‘We cannot remain silent in the light of such an intensity of ill will and such a gross violation of fundamental human and civil rights. It is also our duty, which arises from our judicial conscience and our knowledge of the law, to point out that cooperation with the commission according to the principles of this unprecedented act constitutes a violation of values that are dear to our traditions and respect for the common good,’ wrote the retired judges of the Constitutional Tribunal.

The commission investigating Russian influence, seen as a tool against Donald Tusk and the ‘enemies’ of PiS, could result in the blocking of EU funds for Poland.

The system of repression of judges defending the rule of law has been changing over the years. What measures are used today to intimidate defenders of the rule of law? Osiatyński Archive’s special analysis

The president of the Court of Appeal in Warsaw, Piotr Schab, does not respect the law, while there is interference in final judgments to the benefit of the prosecutor’s office in the court he manages – as arises from the declaration of 43 judges of that court.

The neo-NCJ has started to choose more neo-judges for the Supreme Court. It could nominate as many as 12. The candidates are judges who were already promoted under the current government as well as an assistant to Elzbieta Karska, the wife of PiS MEP Karol Karski. Voting will be held on 18 May.

Disciplinary cases are pending for Judges Anna Głowacka and Edyta Barańska from Kraków for implementing ECtHR and CJEU judgments. They are being prosecuted by Zbigniew Ziobro’s people – Piotr Schab and Przemysław Radzik. Similarly, the latter are deliberately breaching the CJEU’s ruling

Will the new president, Zbigniew Kapiński, be up to managing an important chamber of the Supreme Court? Will he behave like a truly independent judge and protect it from political upheaval and pressure?

People who hold degrees in medicine, political science or no degree at all are specialists in criminal proceedings and state security. One also has a BSc in farming, one is a construction engineer and there is a technical college graduate. Such a bill could not have been prepared by this group of people – it was prepared by someone else and presented to them for signature, says Professor Mirosław Wyrzykowski.

PiS MPs have submitted a bill to the Sejm toughening the penalties for espionage and introducing an unintentional variant of this offence. ‘This could be a provision for abuse and to be used politically,’ warns a criminal law judge.

PiS is trying to force through an Act appointing a commission ‘To investigate Russian influence’ in the Sejm.