- Title: "Judges today, you tomorrow": thousands of Poles protest judicial reforms
- Date: 18th December 2019
- Summary: WARSAW, POLAND (DECEMBER 18, 2019) (REUTERS) PROTESTERS GATHERED OUTSIDE PARLIAMENT WAVING POLISH FLAGS PROTESTERS HOLDING PLACARDS WITH SIGN (Polish): "KONSTYTUCJA" AND CHANTING (Polish): "FREE COURTS" WOMAN HOLDING BIG POLISH FLAG AND CHANTING (Polish): "SOLIDARITY IS OUR WEAPON" VARIOUS OF PROTESTER HOLDING PLACARD WITH PICTURE OF POLISH MINISTER OF JUSTICE ZBIGNIEW ZIOBRO AND SIGN READING (Polish): "ENOUGH OF CHANGING THE LAW INTO TOOL TO TAME (JUDGES)" PROTESTERS CHANTING (Polish) "ANDRZEJ D." (Ed's note: referring to Polish President Andrzej Duda) VARIOUS OF PROTESTERS ON STAGE WITH THEIR LIPS SEALED WITH STICKERS READING (Polish): "JUDGES TODAY, YOU TOMORROW"
- Embargoed: 1st January 2020 20:31
- Keywords: Law and Justice Polish judges judiciary reform protest in Poland
- Location: WARSAW, POLAND
- City: WARSAW, POLAND
- Country: Poland
- Topics: Government/Politics
- Reuters ID: LVA001BAI5S8P
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Several thousand people gathered in front of Poland's parliament in Warsaw on Wednesday (December 18) to protest against a proposal by the ruling nationalists that would allow for judges to be fired if they question the legitimacy of the government's judicial reforms.
Protesters carried placards with anti-governmental slogans and waved Polish and EU flags, with some wearing tape over their mouths that said: "Judges today, you tomorrow".
One of the most outspoken critics of judiciary reform, judge Igor Tuleya said the latest reforms were already known as the "gagging law" and "muzzling law" and were the next step for the current government to deform the judiciary system and cut Poland off from Europe.
Poland's ruling Law and Justice (PiS) party has vowed to keep reforming its justice system after winning an election in October, putting it on a collision course with the European Union which has repeatedly argued the reforms are in breach of EU law and Poland's constitution.
Under draft legislation expected to be discussed in parliament on Thursday, PiS aims to prevent judges from ruling that peers, nominated by a panel appointed by the PiS-dominated parliament, are not independent.
The EU had said on Monday (December 16) it would investigate whether the draft law undermines judicial independence.
(Production: Jaroslaw Gawlowski, Malgorzata Wojtunik) - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
- Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2019. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
- Usage Terms/Restrictions: None