We, gathered at the Third Congress of Polish Lawyers, at the European Solidarity Centre in Gdansk on 24th June 2023
- bearing in mind the ideas and values that underpinned the establishment and success of the SOLIDARITY trade union movement, which brought us freedom and made it possible to establish the rule of law;
- emphasising the importance of the systemic transformation initiated in 1989, the success of which has led us to the safe space of the rule of law of the countries belonging to the European Union,
hereby point out that:
1. the restoration of the rule of law in Poland is the first step towards rebuilding our position in European structures, where each country should be guided by a common system of values involving respect for the principles of democracy and civil society;
2. the protection of the rights and freedoms of every person should be the priority and the cornerstone of the action of all authorities;
3. good lawmaking is nowadays expected by all citizens - the transparency of the legislative process and the participation of the public in it should be ensured;
4. ineffective judicial procedures hinder the provision of adequate legal protection and the proper provision of professional legal assistance;
5. independence of judges, independence of the courts and the prosecutor's office, as well as the independence of legal counsels and advocates is a guarantee for the implementation of the constitutional rights of the individual; in a democratic state of law, the essence of the independence of the judiciary is to rule independently of the will and programmes of political groups and without regard to the interests of persons and organisations interested in the outcome.
We appeal to the representatives of all political forces in the country to consider the above postulates as a necessary minimum for the rule of law, out of concern for the good of the Republic. Ensuring the rule of law for citizens is necessary for prosperity and security and should therefore uniteh across divisions. May good laws, adopted in the spirit of social dialogue and with trust in the institutions of the rule of law, establish constitutional order in Poland.