WARSAW (Sputnik) — Thousands of Poles concerned about the direction of judicial and electoral changes took to the streets of Warsaw on Friday to protest what is widely perceived as the government’s drive to expand its powers.
Protest in front of Warsaw presidential palace against PiS establishing political control of justice system pic.twitter.com/2b9luiyWY5
— Claudia Ciobanu (@Claudia_Warsaw) 24 ноября 2017 г.
Demonstrators rallied outside the presidential palace in the capital, a Sputnik correspondent said. They chanted "free courts, free elections, free Poland."
People are gathering in front of Presidential Palce in Warsaw for the protest #FreeJudiciary #FreeElection #FreePoland pic.twitter.com/PVYH341hFN
— KOD International (@Kom_Obr_Dem_Int) 24 ноября 2017 г.
In July, the Polish parliament adopted two controversial bills on judiciary reform. One of them empowers the parliament to appoint members of the National Council of Judiciary. Another bill expands the powers of the justice minister, enabling the official to appoint or dismiss chief judges of ordinary courts.
In addition, the Polish legislation undermines the courts' independence by giving the minister of justice the discretionary power to prolong the mandate of judges who have reached retirement age, to dismiss and appoint court presidents and thus exert influence on individual judges.
