Kraków judges protest after forced transfers

Łukasz Gągulski (PAP)

Eleven judges of the District Court in Kraków refused to adjudicate with judges nominated by the new National Council of the Judiciary. Three of them have since undergone forced transfers to other divisions. Their colleagues organized the first ever all-day rotational protest in response to this ‘expression of repression by the authorities’.

Judge Beata Morawiec was dismissed as President of the District Court of Kraków by Minister of Justice Zbigniew Ziobro four years ago. She also serves as the President of the Polish Judges’ Association Themis, which strongly criticizes the reform of the justice system carried out by the current government.

Judge Katarzyna Wierzbicka was recalled in the past together with Judge Morawiec by Minister Ziobro and Judge Maciej Czajka is a member of Themis and was a judge in the Disciplinary Chamber that dealt with the case of lifting Judge Morawiec’ immunity.

Calling these involuntary transfers ‘an expression of repression by the authorities’, other judges organized the first ever all-day rotational protest in front of several Kraków court houses on 29 September 2021.

Source: Polish News