Six Constitutional Court Judges Call On Chief Justice To Trigger Succession Procedures

Six judges of Poland's 15-member Constitutional Court have asked Chief Justice Julia Przylebska to trigger formal procedures to elect her successor and informed President Andrzej Duda about their request, Rzeczpospolita daily reported last night.

• The six judges have argued that Przylebska's term expired in December, which means that the Constitutional Court needs a new head. Prime Minister Morawiecki pushed back against their interpretation, noting that Przylebska's term as Chief Justice will end concurrently with her term as a judge, which is in two years' time.
• The ruling Law and Justice party's controversial overhaul of the Constitutional Court in 2015 sparked a legal crisis, which set Poland on a collision course with the EU and sent domestic politics into a turmoil.
• The Constitutional Court holds considerable power in the Polish legal system, holding the right to veto legislation that is deemed unconstitutional, which means that its composition has grave consequences for the legislative process.
• Former Chief Justice Jerzy Stepien told Rzeczpospolita that the petition of the six judges could be a manifestation of a factional conflict within the ruling coalition, with Justice Minister Ziobro seeking to promote his ally to the position of Chief Justice.