Polen

Four European organisations of judges sue EU Council for disregarding EU Court’s judgements on decision to unblock funds to Poland

The four main European organisations of judges:

  1. Association of European Administrative Judges (AEAJ)
  2. European Association of Judges (EAJ, a regional branch of the International Association of Judges – IAJ)
  3. Rechters voor Rechters (Judges for Judges)
  4. Magistrats Européens pour la Démocratie et les Libertés (MEDEL)

 

represented by Carsten Zatschler SC, Emily Egan McGrath BL, Barristers, assisted by Anne Bateman and Maeve Delargy, Solicitors, of Philip Lee LLP,

have filed today before the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) a lawsuit against the EU Council over its decision to unblock Recovery and Resilience funds for Poland.

Read the full press release (PDF)

Polen

TONIGHT ONLINE – The March of a Thousand Gowns two years later

Sovereignty and rule of law – the role of the courts in postpandemic era
30th of March 2022

moderator: judge Bogdan Jędrys (Association of Polish Judges „Iustitia”)

Zoom link below!

7:00 – 7:10 PM, CET OPENING SPEECH

  • judge dr hab., ass. professor Katarzyna Gajda – Roszczynialska (Association of Polish Judges „Iustitia”,
    ICBWS, University of Silesia in Katowice)

Continue reading TONIGHT ONLINE – The March of a Thousand Gowns two years later →

Oekraïne

Solidarity with the Ukrainian colleagues and Ukrainian citizens

Together with basically the rest of the world we are deeply shocked by the military invasion of Ukraine by the Russian Federation. The human rights of people across Ukraine are put at grave risk.

Judges for Judges specifically expresses its solidarity with the Ukrainian colleagues and Ukrainian citizens who have contributed to strengthen the rule of law in Ukraine over the last years.

We encourage everybody to help and support the victims of this war in any way possible. Continue reading Solidarity with the Ukrainian colleagues and Ukrainian citizens →

Polen

Resolution of the Board of the Polish Judges Association Iustitia of 9 February 2022, concerning the suspension of Judge Joanna Hetnarowicz-Sikora

Joanna Hetnarowicz-Sikora

The Board of the Polish Judges Association Iustitia has received with highest indignation the news on the suspension of Judge Joanna Hetnarowicz-Sikora for a judicial decision. This action, undertaken during court session, when she was forbidden to enter the courtroom, has placed the judge alongisde criminals, insulting her dignity and undermining her professional credibility. Initiation of disciplinary proceedings for a judicial decision by the deputy Disciplinary Prosecutor Michał Lasota and the order to suspend the judge issued by the Minister of Justice-Prosecutor General Zbigniew Ziobro, executed by the president of the District Court in Słupsk Agnieszka Leszkiewicz constitute a direct infringement of the decisions of the Court of Justice of the European Union of 14 July 2021 (case C-204/21) and of 15 July 2021 (case C-791/19), stating that it is forbidden to hold judges responsible for their judicial decisions, including the examination of a status of a judge, as disciplinary delicts. Continue reading Resolution of the Board of the Polish Judges Association Iustitia of 9 February 2022, concerning the suspension of Judge Joanna Hetnarowicz-Sikora →

Frankrijk

Ondertussen in Frankrijk

Rechter Vincent Sizaire tijdens de staking op 15 december 2021

Ofschoon op het eerste gezicht de zorgen van onze Franse collega’s in het niet vallen bij wat er in bedreigde rechtsstaten als Polen gaande is, is ook daar de situatie verre van rooskleurig.

Op 23 augustus 2021 pleegde een jonge rechter, Charlotte G., zelfmoord. Zij maakte deel uit van wat wij de vliegende brigade zouden noemen. Haar naaste collega’s twijfelden er niet aan dat het de aanhoudende werkdruk was geweest die haar had doen besluiten om uit het leven te stappen. De verontwaardiging hierover werd allengs breder gedeeld.  Charlotte was immers bepaald niet de enige voor wie doorwerken in de weekenden en vakanties eerder regel dan uitzondering was. Continue reading Ondertussen in Frankrijk →

Turkije

Letter to the members of the European Commission and European Council

On 3rd January 2022, the Platform for Turkey, represented by the Presidents of the 4 main European Associations of Judges (Association of European Administrative Judges, AEAJ; the European Association of Judges, EAJ; Judges for Judges and Magistrates Européens pour la Démocratie et les Libertés, MEDEL), addressed a Letter to the members of the European Commission and European Council, demanding action to restore the Rule of Law in Turkey and to end the witch-hunt against judges. Continue reading Letter to the members of the European Commission and European Council →

Afghanistan

Letter to German Federal Minister of Justice

On December 21st, the Presidents of the 4 European Associations of Judges (Association of European Administrative Judges, AEAJ; the European Association of Judges, EAJ; Judges for Judges and Magistrates Européens pour la Démocratie et les Libertés, MEDEL) drafted a letter concerning the precarious situation – with specific risk of death – of judges, prosecutors, lawyers and human rights activists in Afghanistan.

The letter was sent to the German Federal Minister of Justice. Continue reading Letter to German Federal Minister of Justice →

Oekraïne

Ukraine finally stops persecuting whistle-blower judge, and rules against corruption

The Kharkiv Court of Appeal has overturned the acquittal of a former Poltava deputy mayor who offered a bribe to Oktyabrsky District Court Judge Larysa Holnyk.  The victory for those fighting corruption is partial and belated, but important, nonetheless, since up till now it was Judge Holnyk who suffered persecution for blowing the whistle on high-level corruption.

The events in question were back in 2014, when the then president of the Oktyabrsky District Court, Oleksandr Strukov passed a case to Holnyk involving an alleged administrative offence (under Article 172-7 of the Code of Administrative Offences) by the Mayor of Poltava Oleksandr Mamay.  He was accused of having concealed a conflict of interest over a decision by the City Council on land distribution (in which the beneficiary was his step-daughter). Continue reading Ukraine finally stops persecuting whistle-blower judge, and rules against corruption →

Polen

Letters of support for suspended Polish judges

Sources: Łukasz Capar | @ProfPech

Polish judges Maciej Ferek of the Regional Court in Kraków and Agnieszka Niklas-Bibik of the Regional Court in Słupsk were suspended, because they refused to recognise decisions made by judges appointed with involvement of the politicised National Council of the Judiciary.

The Good Lobby Profs have written letters of support to Judge Ferek and to Judge Niklas-Bibik, which Judges for Judges is proud to share and endorse.

Continue reading Letters of support for suspended Polish judges →