20 September, 2018
On 17 September 2018, the ENCJ (European Network of the Councils for the Judiciary) General Assembly gathered in Bucharest addressed the issue of removing the status of the active Member of the ENCJ from the Polish National Judicial Council (Krajowa Rada Sądownictwa). One of the important preconditions for membership of the ENCJ is that the councils for the judiciary operate independently of the executive and legislative powers and provide full support for the independence of the judges and the judiciary in the Member States.
ENCJ has for several years been expressing condemnation about the events in Poland and has also visited the newly elected Polish National Judicial Council in June this year. After this visit, concerns about the loss of independence of the judiciary in Poland have not diminished.
On the basis of voting results, the Polish National Judicial Council is temporarily deprived of the right to vote and the opportunity to participate in events and projects organized by the ENCJ. Despite this, the ENCJ will keep in touch with Poland and will continue to monitor the situation in order to be able to decide on the reinstatement of a fully-fledged member organization in the event of an improvement.
ENCJ press release in English is available at https://www.encj.eu/node/495
Information prepared by Dace Sulmane, the Adviser to the Council for the Judiciary
Telephone: +371 67020352, e-mail: Dace.sulmane@at.gov.lv