Iustitia`s Information Network - Announcement No. 4/2023, dated May 15, 2023.
Dear Colleagues,
Here we present another communiqué on the activities of the Polish Judges` Association (PJA) Iustitia. In this communiqué we will discuss the events of April 2023.
Iustitia Delegates' Assembly.
The XXIX Ordinary Assembly of Delegates of the PJA Iustitia was held in Oltarzew from April 14 to 16, 2023. The Meeting was held under the motto "Build a modern judiciary with us".
During the Meeting, all current members of the National Board received a discharge from their activities in 2022.
"We want to build a modern, efficient and independent judiciary. We have to do it ourselves. We have the best projects and drafts of law in years. We know how to do it. We are able to combine and build a strong judiciary at the European level. Our goal is a systemic package of laws. (...) Iustitia is recognized around the world. It has been a tradition for 31 years, with 33 hard-working branches and excellent substantive teams. Iustitia member Judge Monika Frąckowiak has become vice president of MEDEL, the European association of judges and prosecutors. We have reasons to be happy and proud." With these words, the President of the Association, Krystian Markiewicz, welcomed all delegates, observers and guests.
The meeting hosted many distinguished guests from all over the world, among whom the person of the Dutch judge, Professor at Maastricht University - Kees Sterk - should be singled out, as he joined our ranks as an Honorary Member of the Association of Polish Judges "Iustitia".
An important point of the meeting on April 15, 2023, was the presentation of the honorary badge of the Association: to judges from the Katowice Branch: Marzena Gregorczyk and Rafal Cebula, Judge Jolanta Jeżewska from the Gdańsk Branch, Judge Monika Maćkowiak from the Bydgoszcz Branch, judges from the Cracow Branch: Marzena Stoces and Maciej Ferek, and Judge Artur Broś from the Przemyśl Branch. Judge Maciej Ferek by the votes of the citizens - received a special distinction in the form of the Civic Honorary Badge of Iustitia.
The Delegates' Meeting of the Association of Polish Judges Iustitia adopted a resolution to amend its statute - so that its members can now also be court assessors. An assessor would lose membership if he or she was not appointed to serve as a judge.
All coverage of the meeting can be found at : https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.iustitia.pl/4686-xxix-zebranie-delegatow-ssp-iustitia-w-oltarzewie-pod-haslem-zbuduj-z-nami-nowoczesne-sadownictwo&source=gmail&ust=1684269464734000&usg=AOvVaw17FEp1jpmCMB7szMGSuytM">https://www.iustitia.pl/4686-xxix-zebranie-delegatow-ssp-iustitia-w-oltarzewie-pod-haslem-zbuduj-z-nami-nowoczesne-sadownictwo.
The assembly adopted a program resolution. The resolution reads, among other things :" Taking into account the current events in the country and abroad, as well as the upcoming challenges, the Association of Polish Judges "Iustitia" indicates the priorities in its activities in 2023-2024:
1. continuation of previous activities and implementation of goals from previous program resolutions
The Association will continue to implement the goals from the previous program resolutions of 2016-2022. The most important goal is to restore the rule of law in our country based on the draft laws prepared by the Association and entities with which we share common values.(...)
2. building a modern judiciary
The Association of Polish Judges "Iustitia" considers as one of its priorities the preparation and implementation of a real, comprehensive reform that will lead to the creation of a modern judiciary for the 21st century.
Among the systemic assumptions on which such a reform should be based are:
- the introduction of a system of co-management of the courts by a reformed National Council of the Judiciary and the judiciary self-government, instead of administrative supervision by the Minister of Justice over the common courts;
- basing the new law on the National Council of the Judiciary on a draft developed by the Association;
- introduction of a unified position of a judge of a common court.(...)".
The entire resolution can be found at : https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.iustitia.pl/81-uchwaly/4678-uchwaly-xxix-zwyczajnego-zebrania-delegatow-ssp-iustitia-w-oltarzewie&source=gmail&ust=1684269464734000&usg=AOvVaw1scODSh6wmp53f5sy578EB">https://www.iustitia.pl/81-uchwaly/4678-uchwaly-xxix-zwyczajnego-zebrania-delegatow-ssp-iustitia-w-oltarzewie.
The assembly issued an appeal to the European Commission to immediately initiate anti-violence proceedings in connection with the functioning of the neoKRS.
The appeal reads, among other things:
" We appeal to the European Commission to immediately initiate anti-violation proceedings under Article 258 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union in connection with the functioning of the National Judicial Council (the so-called neo-KRS). We appeal to the European Commission to immediately initiate anti-violence proceedings under Article 258 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union in connection with the functioning of the National Judicial Council (the so-called neo-KRS). This is necessary to restore the rule of law in Poland and to guarantee the right to an independent court to the citizens of Poland and other member states. Poland's neo-KRS in the practice of its functioning has already proven many times that it is a body that carries out the expectations of the authority that elected the judges to its composition. Over the past years of the ruthless attack on the guarantees of judges' independence, it has not taken a stand in defense of this value. On the contrary, it has actively supported the systematic undermining of the independence of the judiciary, above all by participating in the illegal procedure for the nomination of judges, which leads to a flagrant violation of Article 6 of the ECHR and Article 47 of the CFR - judgments of the European Court of Human Rights in the Dolińska-Ficek, Ozimek, Advance Pharma cases.(...)".
Read the entire appeal by clicking on the link : https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.iustitia.pl/81-uchwaly/4679-apel-sedziow-oraz-prokuratorow-polskich-i-europejskich-zebranych-podczas-xxix-zebrania-delegatow-stowarzyszenia-sedziow-polskich-iustitia-do-komisji-europejskiej-o-natychmiastowe-wszczecie-postepowania-przeciwnaruszeniowego-w-zwiazku-z-funkcjonowaniem-neo-krs&source=gmail&ust=1684269464734000&usg=AOvVaw2xOyonM1HSkQFEI6FGkqb9">https://www.iustitia.pl/81-uchwaly/4679-apel-sedziow-oraz-prokuratorow-polskich-i-europejskich-zebranych-podczas-xxix-zebrania-delegatow-stowarzyszenia-sedziow-polskich-iustitia-do-komisji-europejskiej-o-natychmiastowe-wszczecie-postepowania-przeciwnaruszeniowego-w-zwiazku-z-funkcjonowaniem-neo-krs.
During the Meeting, a letter from Judge Murat Arslan, a Turkish judge and president of the Turkish Judges Association sentenced to 10 years in prison, was read.
The letter of the XXIX Iustitia Meeting was read by Turkish Judge Orhan Karabacak, who managed to escape from Turkey. He began his speech with words addressed to Polish judges: "You have become pioneers in our struggle. We learn from you how to fight for the independence of the judiciary. You have become models for the world."
The letter reads, among other things:
"Dear Colleagues/True Friends. I am writing this letter to express my deepest gratitude for the unwavering support and tireless efforts you have shown me and other Turkish colleagues in our difficult times. You have been a beacon of hope and strength for all of us, and your contributions have made a significant difference in our lives, especially for those who have been in prison cells for years.(...). I extend my special gratitude to my Polish friends for their tireless efforts and steadfastness during my ordeal and their extraordinary contribution to our cause. I wish you a successful and fruitful conference and please accept my heartfelt appreciation and deepest respect.(>>>)".
You can find the entire letter at : https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.iustitia.pl/79-informacje/4680-list-od-murata-arslana-tureckiego-sedziego-prezesa-tureckiego-stowarzyszenia-sedziowskiego-skazanego-na-10-lat-wiezienia&source=gmail&ust=1684269464734000&usg=AOvVaw1zVexE_QH2_qAPFzpPfT_9">https://www.iustitia.pl/79-informacje/4680-list-od-murata-arslana-tureckiego-sedziego-prezesa-tureckiego-stowarzyszenia-sedziowskiego-skazanego-na-10-lat-wiezienia.