Poland's Constitutional Court Crisis: Duda signs controversial amendments to law

[uawchild]

Source: Ukraine Today

Poland's President Andrzej Duda signed amendments to the law on the Polish Constitutional Court which had been the issue of dispute between the government and the opposition since last year.
...
The constitutional crisis hit in Poland in November last year. The government and the opposition accuse each other of violating the law while appointing the Constitutional Court judges, which led to deepening the crisis and complicating operations of this unity. In January the European Commission intervened in the dispute, starting preliminary assessment of the rule of law in Poland.European Parliament says democracy under threat in Poland
...
Poland can even be stripped of its EU Member State voting rights for violating European values.

In early July, the European Commission said it will assess the new law on the Constitutional Court in Poland within the previous assessment of the rule of law once the legislative process in Poland is complete. A few days ago, the Commission recommended Poland to implement the Constitutional Court decision as of last December concerning the selection of Constitutional Court judges, and that as of March - on unconstitutionality of amendments to the Constitutional Court law, approved by the new government.

Read more: http://uatoday.tv/politics/poland-s-constitutional-court-crisis-duda-signs-controversial-amendments-to-law-707341.html

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"The European Parliament has declared in a resolution "effective paralysis" of Poland's Constitutional Tribunal endangers the rule of law, democracy and human rights in the country.

The resolution was initiated by the European People's Party (the largest group in the European Parliament) together with the Party of European Socialists. It was backed by several other parties, including the Liberals and Greens. The resolution passed with 513 votes for, 142 against and 30 abstentions.

Ryszard Legutko, MEP from Poland's ruling Law and Justice party, called the resolution "absurd, damaging, non-credible and counter-productive." Stanisław Karczewski of Law and Justice, Speaker of the Senate, added that the European Parliament resolution was a result of the Polish opposition "informing on Poland" to European institutions."
http://uatoday.tv/politics/european-parliament-says-democracy-under-threat-in-poland-630188.html


The "Law and Justice" party is the extremely right wing faction that controls the Polish government. Seems they are upset that the political opposition IN Poland "informed" on them to the EU. Good grief.

[mrmpa]

1. Did you know that Poland..........

was the first European country to adopt a constitution. May 3, 1791.

[egold2604]

2. What does the law do?

[mainer]

3. Poland has a new right-wing Trump-like leader, and people are protesting

While I was there in May, there were huge protests, led by 2 former leaders of Poland. The current government is a right-wing "Law and Order" party which now threatens Poland's democracy. ("Law and Order" party. Sound familiar?)

Poland’s two former presidents led about 50,000 marchers in Warsaw on Saturday to protest against the right-wing government’s policies and mark 27 years since the ousting of communism.

The march was another in a series organised by a new civic movement, the Committee for the Defense of Democracy, or KOD, against the conservative government that took office in November. The government’s policies have strained Poland’s relations with the European Union and the US and angered many in Poland. But the ruling party insists it has a mandate from Poland’s voters.

The nationalist government has focused on helping those left out of Poland’s economic growth and increased its grip on state institutions. The moves have paralysed the nation’s Constitutional Tribunal, put state-owned media under government control and increased police surveillance powers.

The EU says Poland’s rule of law and democracy are in danger.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/jun/05/poland-former-presidents-lead-50000-marchers-in-anti-government-protests

[Archae]

4. This is the same country, and same government...

That the anti-GMO activists still are crowing about.

Because they banned GMO's. (Supposedly)

[JackRiddler]

5. Here's the damn wikipedia to figure out what this is actually about.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polish_Constitutional_Court_crisis,_2015

Badly written story in OP says nothing about actual issue. What does the law do? What is the controversy about? Nothing there.