In Poland, two Constitutional Tribunal judges receive protection — RMF24

In Poland, two judges of the Constitutional Tribunal have been provided protection by the State Protection Service due to threats. Interior and Administration Minister Marcin Kierwiński said this on TOK FM, RMF24 reports. According to him, the judges themselves requested protection.

Police intervened near the tribunal building

For more than ten days, from more than a dozen to several hundred people who call themselves defenders of the institution have been staying near the Constitutional Tribunal building. Politicians from the Law and Justice party have also appeared there.

On October 14, after Maciej Berek took the oath of office as a Constitutional Tribunal judge in the Sejm, the situation escalated. Robert Bąkiewicz and members of the Border Defense Movement tried to block judges from entering the tribunal. Police intervened, while the opposition accused the authorities of an attack.

Kierwiński stated that blocking the entrance was a violation of the law. He also stressed that police would respond until the judges are able to get to work.

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Dispute over Maciej Berek's oath

Maciej Berek, appointed by the Sejm as a Constitutional Tribunal judge on September 4, took the oath in the Sejm on October 14 using a formula that provided for taking it before the president. He also submitted a written text of the oath with a notarized signature. Berek was accompanied, among others, by Sejm Marshal Włodzimierz Czarzasty and Senate Marshal Małgorzata Kidawa-Błońska.

President Karol Nawrocki stated that Berek had not taken the oath before the president of Poland. Constitutional Tribunal President Bogdan Święczkowski said that Berek had not entered into an official relationship with the tribunal and had not been admitted to hear cases. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Donald Tusk said that the judges had been elected in accordance with the law and that the president, by refusing to accept the oath, was removing himself from constitutional duties.

After that, Nawrocki visited the Constitutional Tribunal building and met with the judges who were there. The head of the Presidential Chancellery, Zbigniew Bogucki, said that due to the situation at the tribunal, the president had canceled a visit to Slovenia planned for Thursday and Friday.