June 14th marks International Fair Trial Day. Focus country for this inaugural edition is Turkey. In a joint statement, Judges for Judges and 92 other legal organisations call on the Turkish authorities to implement ten steps and on the international community to increase its efforts.
Continue reading International Fair Trial Day: call on Turkey
Six Kenyan Judges currently serving on the bench, were recently denied appointment to higher courts by the President. The Kenya Magistrates and Judges Association calls this ‘shocking turn of events’ in a recent statement ‘baffling, unfounded and patently unconstitutional’.
Judges for Judges, the Commonwealth Magistrates’ and Judges’ Association (CMJA), the Commonwealth Legal Education Association (CLEA) and the Commonwealth Lawyers Association (CLA) urge the Kenyan President to respect both domestic law and international applicable standards in the appointment of judges, to ensure the independence of the judiciary: cornerstone of the rule of law.
Continue reading Kenyan President unconstitutionally rejects appointment of six Judges
On 28 April 2021 the Constitutional Tribunal will be considering a case P 7/20 in response to a question of law concerning the constitutionality of the second subparagraph of Article 4(3) TEU (principle of sincere cooperation) in connection with Article 279 TFEU (power of the Court of Justice to grant interim measures).
If the mentioned provisions of the Treaties are found to be unconstitutional, they will cease to be applicable in Poland. Therefore, it will create an apparent basis for disregarding interim measures granted by the Court of Justice, including interim order suspending the functioning of the Disciplinary Chamber of the Supreme Court. Continue reading Statement of retired Constitutional Tribunal judges of 27 April 2021
The Constitutional Tribunal of the Republic of Poland will hold a hearing on Wednesday, 28 April at 1 p.m., on the constitutionality of EU legislation defining the obligations of Member States to enforce securing orders issued by the CJEU (case ref. P 7/20).
The question was presented by former prosecutor Małgorzata Bednarek from the Disciplinary Chamber of the Supreme Court, who wants the Constitutional Tribunal to assess whether the imposition of security measures by the Court of Justice of the EU – the so-called interim measures – is in line with the Polish Constitution. The CJEU imposed such a safeguard on the Disciplinary Chamber on 8 April 2020 by prohibiting it from operating in disciplinary cases regarding judges. Continue reading What will happen in the Constitutional Tribunal on 28 April 2021?
Press release
IUSTITIA: Disciplinary Chamber Denies Validity of CJEU Ruling and Intends to Rule upon consent to detain Judge Igor Tuleya
On 21 April 2021, in Warsaw, the politicised Disciplinary Chamber of the Supreme Court will hold a meeting to decide upon consent to detain Judge Igor Tuleya and forcefully bring him to the Prosecutor’s Office. This is another act of negating the validity of the ruling of the Luxembourg-based Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) by the Disciplinary Chamber. In the judgement of 8 April 2020, case C-791/19 Commission v. Poland, the CJEU ordered the suspension of the Disciplinary Chamber’s activity in cases of disciplinary liability of judges.
The proceedings against Judge Tuleya exemplify a gross disregard for the CJEU ruling and European Commission actions. Let us recall that on 9 June, the politicised Disciplinary Chamber ruled once on Tuleya’s immunity. On 24 June 2020, the Polish government submitted explanations to the European Commission in how this action complied with the CJEU ruling. Since then, the European Commission has not requested the CJEU to impose financial penalties. It submitted another complaint regarding interim measures that would suspend the Disciplinary Chamber in all its activities. Continue reading IUSTITIA: Disciplinary Chamber Denies Validity of CJEU Ruling and Intends to Rule upon consent to detain Judge Igor Tuleya
Vrienden van Rechters voor Rechters,
Voor het tweede jaar alleen online, maar het Movies that Matter Festival gaat door! Dit festival gaat op vrijdag 16 april van start en duurt tot en met zondag 25 april: Festival 2021: volledig online te zien | Movies that Matter
Er is ook dit jaar een speciale Camera Justitia programmering: Camera Justitia | Movies that Matter
Er staan negen indrukwekkende films (zowel fictie als documentaire) geprogrammeerd, geflankeerd door sessies over juridische dilemma’s, waarheidsvinding, internationaal recht en de strijd tegen straffeloosheid.
Op donderdagavond 22 april vanaf 20:00 uur, de Camera Justitia Night, Continue reading Movies that Matter 2021, 2 nieuwe bestuursleden en een Poolse crowdfundingsactie
Deze maand werd de wraking toegewezen van de voorzitter van de stichting Rechters voor rechters vanwege haar voorzitterswerk in de strijd tegen de afbraak van de Poolse rechtsstaat. Hoewel de NVvR nooit ingaat op individuele uitspraken in rechtszaken, constateert de vereniging dat de wrakingsgrond gevonden is in haar inzet voor de bescherming van de internationale rule of law, een maatschappelijk en algemeen belang en geen persoonlijk belang. Voor deze inzet heeft zij de volle steun en waardering van de NVvR.
Nederlandse rechters spreken zich scherp uit tegen de afbraak van de Poolse rechtsstaat. Ook de NVvR laat zich op dit front niet onbetuigd en zal aandacht blijven vragen voor deze belangrijke kwestie. Samen met Rechters voor rechters liep de NVvR mee in de Mars van 1000 toga’s.
Continue reading Voorzitter Rechters voor Rechters gewraakt om strijd voor Poolse rechtsstaat
‘An unimaginable situation of arresting a judge for a judgement can become a fact in a moment.’ The Polish Judges’ Association Iustitia calls on European Commission vice-president Věra Jourová and member Didier Reynders, because ‘the fates of thousands of Polish judges depend on applying the preventive measures at the right time.’
‘Only interim measures within an infringement procedure can put a stop to the escalation of actions aimed against Polish judges.’ Click here to download the letter in full.
Judges for Judges and Professor Laurent Pech have submitted a joint third party intervention before the European Court of Human Rights in the case of Judge Jan Grzęda.
The case of Grzęda v Poland concerns legislative changes as a result of which the office of a Supreme Administrative Court judge elected to the National Council of the Judiciary (NCJ) in Poland was prematurely terminated before the end of his constitutionally guaranteed four-year term.
Continue reading Third party intervention in Strasbourg case Grzęda v Poland
Poolse rechters die worden afgewezen voor het Hooggerechtshof kunnen die afwijzing laten toetsen door een Europees gerecht, ook als de nationale Grondwet of het Constitutioneel Hof elk beroep uitsluit. Dat heeft het Hof van Justitie van de Europese Unie op 2 maart bepaald. De Raad voor de Rechtspraak in Polen beoordeelt sollicitaties namelijk niet politiek onafhankelijk. Deze uitspraak zet de benoeming van ruim 40 rechters in het Hooggerechtshof onder president Andrzej Duda op losse schroeven. Minister van Justitie Zbigniew Ziobro noemt de uitspraak ‘onaanvaardbaar’.
Continue reading Benoeming Poolse opperrechters mogelijk in strijd met Europees recht