The events at Poland’s Constitutional Tribunal on 30 October cannot be justified merely by invoking “the restoration of the rule of law”. The reported removal from duties of Tribunal president Bogdan Święczkowski and vice-president Bartłomiej Sochański, alongside applications to lift their immunity, requires a public and verifiable legal basis. Without it, the state risks deepening, rather than resolving, the dispute over who may lead the institution.
TVN24 reported on Friday evening that both judges had been removed from their duties. Justice Minister and Prosecutor General Waldemar Żurek also said he had submitted applications to the Tribunal to lift their immunity, describing the moves as the culmination of criminal proceedings involving them. Those are reported developments, not findings of guilt or proof that the steps taken were lawful.
Events outside the Tribunal raised the stakes further. Polsat News reported that Święczkowski appeared at its headquarters, that a locksmith had been called, and that PiS MP Mariusz Gosek later tried to cut a chain at the gate. After protesters breached the fence, police blocked the entrance. In the same report, Święczkowski called on the demonstrators to withdraw and said he would wait for President Karol Nawrocki.
Inside, judge Anna Korwin-Piotrowska remained with six other judges. TVN24 reported that they invited only the president for talks, citing security. Polsat News quoted her as ready to meet the president without Święczkowski present.
The government has a serious counterargument: if criminal proceedings justify action against the Tribunal’s leadership, inaction can also damage the rule of law. That is precisely why the procedure cannot be replaced by pressure at the gates or political messaging. Our judgment is straightforward: a government claiming to defend legal rules must first make its own actions open to independent scrutiny.
The unresolved question is who ordered the removal from duties, under which legal authority, and how the immunity applications will be handled. The publication of formal documents, and any subsequent legal review, will determine whether this becomes a defence of the institution or another blow to its credibility.
Sources
- TVN24 · Source date: 2026-10-30
- Polsat News · Source date: 2026-10-30
- TVN24 · Source date: 2026-10-30
- Polsat News · Source date: 2026-10-30
Independent editorial content. WUA is not affiliated with any political party. 2026-10-30
Police had grounds to act at the Constitutional Tribunal, but must explain the threat