Polish lawmakers pass controversial Supreme Court bill

Polish lawmakers in the lower house have passed a law that hands control of the country's Supreme Court to politicians. Critics have said the bill will kill judicial independence. It still has to pass the upper house.

The EU had warned Poland that if it passed the laws, it could be sanctioned and have its voting rights suspended in the Council of Ministers, a top EU decision making body.

"Recent measures taken by the Polish authorities on the judicial system greatly amplify the threat to the rule of law in Poland," European Commission Vice President Frans Timmermans said on Wednesday.

He said he could be close to triggering Article 7, a never-before-used sanction against EU members who violate fundamental rights.

Since being elected to power in 2015, the PiS has sought to expand its influence over the courts and media, prompting the EU to launch a review of the rule of law in Poland last year.

Malgorzata Kidawa-Blonska, the former Chairman of the Sejm (lower house), condemned the vote on Twitter on Thursday. "Members of the PiS raised their hands to deprive citizens of the right to free courts," she wrote.

Wenzel Michalski‏, the German Director of Human Rights Watch, said the bill would kill judicial independence in Poland.

Despite international criticism Poland's lawmakers passed controversial bill
that will kill judicial independence. https://t.co/N4vK6Z3Ok4 pic.twitter.com/jkgE9yPXTO

— Wenzel Michalski (@WenzelMichalski) 20 lipca 2017

/ Redakcja polska