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MEDEL welcomes the decision of the European Commission announced on January 14th, 2020, requesting the European Court of Justice to apply Interim Measures in the infringement procedure regarding the disciplinary regime for Polish judges.
The situation in Poland significantly deteriorated over the last months, with new laws intended to further weaken judicial independence and to effectively forbid the implementation of ECJ rulings in Poland.
MEDEL was present in Warsaw on January 11th, 2020, in the march for the independence of the Judiciary, that gathered more than 25000 people and stretched for 4km.
MEDEL actively participated and had intervention in the press conference before the march.
It was an impressive demonstration of belief in the fundamental values of the Rule of Law and a clear sign to all national and European authorities that those values are at the heart of the European Union and that citizens will never cease fighting for their protection.
A delegation of MEDEL composed by Filipe Marques, Mariarosaria Guglielmi and Monika Frackowiak was received on January 6th by the new EU Commissioner of Justice, Didier Reynders, in Brussels.
In the meeting, we had the opportunity to transmit to Commissioner Reynders our deep concern about the breaches of the fundamental principles of the Rule of Law in several Member States, focusing mainly in the situation in Poland, Romania and Bulgaria, and appealed for a strong and determined reaction by the Commission, as guardian of the treaties.
MEDEL has signed an open letter about the recent attacks on judges and the independence of the Judiciary in Poland and asking for the adoption of interim measures by the European Court of Justice. The statement is below.
For more than four years, MEDEL has been observing the process of deterioration of the rule of law in Poland. During this time, MEDEL has repeatedly called upon Polish authorities to stop this process, to restore the principle of separation of powers and to ensure the independence of the judiciary.
Our calls remained unanswered. The Government of Poland as well as the President of Poland ignore the appeals of the international community, the verdicts of the European Court of Justice, the verdicts of the Polish Supreme Court and the verdicts of the Polish Supreme Administrative Court. Moreover, the “reforms” in contrary to both – domestic and international law – continue, and all those trying to implement aforementioned rulings, become the subject of a ruthless “disciplinary” regime, become criminals in their own country. The only objective of the Polish government is to reduce the independent judiciary and transform it to yet another strong arm of the executive.
MEDEL is supporting the European Citizens' Initiative "Respect for the rule of Law within EU".
Europe is currently witnessing a flurry of unprecedented challenges to its founding values and our collective ability to achieve the Union’s aim to promote peace and well-being for its citizens is seriously undermined.
Polarisation of our societies, nationalistic and populistic trends, shrinking civic space and uncouth attempts at dismantling pillars of the Rule of Law, such as the separation of powers based on checks and balances and independence of the judiciary, are unfolding under our eyes.
MEDEL is supporting the European Citizens' Initiative "Respect for the rule of Law within EU".
Europe is currently witnessing a flurry of unprecedented challenges to its founding values and our collective ability to achieve the Union’s aim to promote peace and well-being for its citizens is seriously undermined.
Polarisation of our societies, nationalistic and populistic trends, shrinking civic space and uncouth attempts at dismantling pillars of the Rule of Law, such as the separation of powers based on checks and balances and independence of the judiciary, are unfolding under our eyes.
Today, in the European sphere, we have the necessary regulatory framework in place to implement gender equality policies. This is a framework that supports the creation of plans and bodies for equality, driven by networks of women jurists whose purposes go beyond the legal domain and are transmitted to society at large.
Today, in the European sphere, we have the necessary regulatory framework in place to implement gender equality policies. This is a framework that supports the creation of plans and bodies for equality, driven by networks of women jurists whose purposes go beyond the legal domain and are transmitted to society at large.
On November 19th, 2019, the European Court of Justice delivered a significant decision in a series of “judicial independence” verdicts, initiated with the case Associação Sindical dos Juízes Portugueses v Tribunal de Contas (C- 64/16).
The judgment was delivered on three preliminary questions (C-585/18, C-624/18 and C-625/18) referred by the Labour Law and Social Security Chamber of the Polish Supreme Court and The Supreme Administrative Court.
MEDEL held its Council of Administration last Saturday, November 9th, in Santiago de Compostela.
The following Bureau was elected for the next two years:
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