You're reading: Reuters: Polish president to meet with Supreme Court head before reforms kick in

Reuters: Polish president to meet with Supreme Court head before reforms kick in

Published July 3, 2018 at 2:59 pm

A woman holds a candle as protesters take part in a demonstration in front of the Polish Supreme Court on July 23, 2017, in Warsaw to protest against the new bill changing the judiciary system. Protesters take to the streets across Poland after lawmakers adopted a controversial reform of the Supreme Court despite the threat of unprecedented EU sanctions. The rallies sprung up after the lower house of parliament, which is controlled by the ruling conservative Law and Justice (PiS) party, voted 235 to 192 -- with 23 abstentions -- in favour of giving the government power to select candidates for the court.

Photo by AFP

The head of Poland’s Supreme Court said she has accepted an invitation for a meeting with President Andrzej Duda later on July 3, the last day before the ruling party’s divisive judicial reform takes effect.

Poland’s ruling nationalist Law and Justice (PiS) party is at loggerheads with the European Union over reforms that have allowed it to take de facto control over prosecutors, the constitutional tribunal, lower-level courts heads and a judges’ oversight body.