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IRELAND’S JUDICIARY HAS offered its strong support to Poland’s judiciary, after a retirement “purge” came into effect this week which forced 27 judges to retire.
The European Network of Councils for the Judiciary (ENCJ) expressed “grave concern” about developments taking place in relation to Poland’s judiciary.
Today, Ireland’s judges backed that concern, saying it was another attempt by the Polish government to bring their judiciary under the control of the government.
“We, the Judiciary of Ireland, strongly support the ENCJ statement regarding the Polish judiciary, and we express our grave concerns about the reported situation in Poland and the likely impact on judicial independence.”
Earlier this week, the ENCJ offered moral support to Poland’s disputed Supreme Court chief justice, after she showed up for work in defiance of the retirement law she argues is unconstitutional.
Fifteen Supreme Court judges, including its chief justice Malgorzata Gersdorf, received retirement notices from President Andrzej Duda yesterday.
Gersdorf, 65, has refused to comply with a new law that took effect on Tuesday at midnight and reduces the retirement age for Supreme Court judges from 70 to 65.
She argues that the constitution sets her term as chief justice at six years, overriding the law, which the EU has slammed as a threat to judicial independence.
Although they contest the retirement law pushed through by Poland’s right-wing Law and Justice (PiS) government, the 14 other judges have complied with it, court spokesman Michal Laskowski said.
“We have no doubt in our mind that we have just met with the Supreme Court chief justice,” Kumi Naidoo, Amnesty International’s incoming secretary general, told reports following talks with Gersdorf.
Dutch Supreme Court chief justice Maarten Feteris and Kees Sterk, president of the ENCJ and Marc de Werd, from the Consultative Council of European Judges at the Council of Europe, also met with Gersdorf.
“All three of us have the same message; we are all very worried about the rule of law in Poland, worried about separation of powers and the independence of judges and we strongly hope that judicial independence will be restored very soon,” Marc de Werd told reporters following the talks.
The PiS government has refused to back down despite the EU legal action, insisting the reforms are needed to tackle corruption and overhaul a judicial system still haunted by the communist era.
The EU launched legal action against Poland on Monday over the retirement rules that could end up in the European Court of Justice (ECJ), the bloc’s top tribunal.
Brussels in December triggered Article Seven proceedings against Poland over “systemic threats” to the rule of law in connection with sweeping judicial changes introduced by the PiS government, which could eventually see Warsaw’s EU voting rights suspended.
© – AFP, 2018, with reporting from Gráinne Ní Aodha
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Council think it will have no negative impact?
They’ve clearly not lived near students who love to party. Especially not fun when you have to be up for work!
@Barry: There article said that antisocial behaviour was out of the scope of a planning application. The ‘no negative effect’ was in relation to the building, not the occupants.
@Barry: they actually come down hard on having parties within Trinity Hall, previously you were allowed one over-nihht guest who had to be signed in prior to 11PM and couldn’t re-enter after that, prior to 11 it was 3 guests who had to be gone by 11, at least those were the rules a few years ago.
Hence, parties on site aren’t the issue, coming and going to off-site parties could be an issue however
Have rent caps been considered in terms of this development. University rents are notoriously overpriced fuelling rent increases in the general rental market.
@Chris O’Connor: Trinity only made a net profit of circa 10 million on student accommodation in 2018, so little chance they will support your view
https://www.irishtimes.com/news/education/why-should-students-living-at-home-subsidise-those-living-in-campus-accommodation-1.4183312
No different to Temple Bar at weekends prior to Covid…. Smell of urine and vomit overpowering, empty cans and bottles, discarded food containers…. You know… The usual… But that was acceptable because the Pubs were creaming it. Now the ball is in a different court…..
Delighted. Temple road is still one of the quietest streets in Dublin. Plenty of room in the area. Students are largely very respectful in my experience.
Trinity should be ashamed of themselves being associated with this disaster of planning
No argument that the vast majority of students are respectful of local residents, but it only takes a few to cause mayhem. The college needs to take a no-tolerance approach to antisocial behaviour. One strike and your out and no return of deposit which should be donated to the local residents association. When mumsy and pop have to fork out a second time I’m sure the ground rules would be explained more forcefully.
Gasly shower of individual’s.
@Peter Bell: You’re not a Trinity graduate yourself?
@Peter Bell: It is usually the ghastly old fart’s who are gasly, especially those who use an apostrophe in a plural word.
The story had significantly less to do with UTIs than the headline may have led one to expect….
have your say