- Joined
- Feb 19, 2012
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- 29,957
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- Netherlands
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- Moderate
An independent judiciary is one of the most important things in a democracy, and the Polish right wing government has taken it upon itself to embrace and approve a law which gives the government influence in the judicial process and which would make the judiciary no longer independent and be at risk of politicizing the judicial process.
Now the law has been approved by both the congress and the senate in Poland, the law now finds itself on the desk of Polish president to sign.
In what is a highly ironic name, the ruling Law and Justice party wants to end the justice in Poland by making the judiciary come under review from political forces/politicians. Something that is highly undesirable in any way shape or form.
The country now risks serious sanctions from the EU for their actions to politicize the judiciary. Large demonstrations have already been happening in Poland against the law and there are many critics at home and abroad. Germany is very uneasy with this turn of events saying that it will lead to a "politically controlled judiciary, in which compliant judges are guided like puppets."
Meanwhile the EU has said that they might trigger an article 7 procedure against the Poles. This article 7 is a sanction law which is in place for when countries make laws/decisions that are: "serious and persistent violations" of the EU treaty's fundamental values. Should the procedure pass, it would mean that Poland looses it's voting rights in the EU.
Well, this is going to get interesting because the Polish president now has a thinking time of 21 days before he must either sign the law or decide to refuse to sign the law.
Now the law has been approved by both the congress and the senate in Poland, the law now finds itself on the desk of Polish president to sign.
In what is a highly ironic name, the ruling Law and Justice party wants to end the justice in Poland by making the judiciary come under review from political forces/politicians. Something that is highly undesirable in any way shape or form.
The country now risks serious sanctions from the EU for their actions to politicize the judiciary. Large demonstrations have already been happening in Poland against the law and there are many critics at home and abroad. Germany is very uneasy with this turn of events saying that it will lead to a "politically controlled judiciary, in which compliant judges are guided like puppets."
Meanwhile the EU has said that they might trigger an article 7 procedure against the Poles. This article 7 is a sanction law which is in place for when countries make laws/decisions that are: "serious and persistent violations" of the EU treaty's fundamental values. Should the procedure pass, it would mean that Poland looses it's voting rights in the EU.
Well, this is going to get interesting because the Polish president now has a thinking time of 21 days before he must either sign the law or decide to refuse to sign the law.