Swieczkowski suspended as Polish police secure Constitutional Tribunal

Polish police entered the premises of the Constitutional Tribunal on Friday after demonstrators gathered to protest the suspension of head judge Bogdan Swieczkowski. The security force moved in following incidents outside the building in Warsaw, where police reported that objects were thrown at officers.

The suspension stems from a dispute that has stalled the court’s operations for six months. During that period, Swieczkowski used his authority to prevent judges elected by the current parliamentary majority from taking their seats. Justice Minister Waldemar Zurek stated on Friday that he requested the removal of immunity for Swieczkowski and his deputy. He cited their failure to allow judges to perform their duties as the reason for the action.

Swieczkowski was appointed by the former Law and Justice (PiS) government, which critics say politicized the judiciary. Prime Minister Donald Tusk described the current situation as a necessary step to restore the rule of law. In a post on X, Tusk noted that the process is difficult and sometimes painful after years of lawlessness under PiS, but that decisive action is required.

The announcement triggered a reaction from PiS supporters who gathered at the court gates. Police detained three individuals after some in the crowd launched dangerous projectiles. President Karol Nawrocki, a PiS ally, interrupted his travel to a sporting event in Senegal to return to Poland. He stated that the president must be in the country during such a critical moment.

Nawrocki has refused to swear in three of the six judges nominated by the Polish parliament since his election in mid-2025. Judge Anna Korwin-Piotrowska, one of those previously rejected by the president, now leads the Constitutional Tribunal. The court has faced contention for years, with the European Union accusing the PiS party, which governed from 2015 to 2023, of imposing political control by electing friendly judges.

The current pro-European government promised to restore judicial independence upon taking power. However, two previous attempts to achieve this were vetoed by PiS-aligned presidents. Former Justice Minister Zbigniew Ziobro, representing the PiS party, criticized the latest move on X. He called the suspension a blatant and criminal attack on the constitutional order.

The standoff continues as the government seeks to integrate new judges into the tribunal. The legal framework surrounding the suspension and the immunity requests will determine the next steps in the tribunal's restructuring.