Europaudvalget 2021-22
EUU Alm.del Bilag 63
Offentligt
Judgement
Assessment of the conformity to the Polish Constitution of selected provisions of the Treaty on European Union
Ref. No. K 3/21
JUDGMENT
IN THE NAME OF THE REPUBLIC OF POLAND
Warsaw, 7 October 2021
The Constitutional Tribunal, composed of:
Julia Przyłębska –
Presiding Judge
Zbigniew Jędrzejewski
Mariusz Muszyński
Krystyna Pawłowicz
Stanisław Piotrowicz
Justyn Piskorski
Piotr Pszczółkowski
Bartłomiej Sochański –
Judge Rapporteur
Michał Warciński
Rafał Wojciechowski
Jarosław Wyrembak
Andrzej Zielonacki,
Recording Clerks
– Grażyna Szałygo, Krzysztof Zalecki,
having considered, at the hearings on 13 July, 31 August, 22 and 30 September, as well as 7 October 2021
in the
presence of the applicant, the President of the Republic of Poland, the Sejm, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, the Public
Prosecutor-General, and the Polish Ombudsman [also referred to as the Polish Commissioner for Human Rights]
the
Prime Minister’s application lodged with the Constitutional Tribunal to assess the
conformity of:
1) Article 1, first and second paragraphs, in conjunction with Article 4(3) of the Treaty on European Union (Journal of
Laws
Dz. U. of 2004 No. 90, item 864/30, as amended)
construed in the way that it enables and/or compels a law-
applying authority to refrain from applying the Polish Constitution or requires the said authority to apply provisions of
law in the way that is inconsistent with the Constitution
to Article 2, Article 7, Article 8(1) in conjunction with
Article 8(2), Article 90(1) and Article 91(2) as well as Article 178(1) of the Constitution of the Republic of Poland;
2) Article 19(1), second subparagraph, in conjunction with Article 4(3) of the TEU
construed in the way that, for the
purpose of ensuring the effective legal protection, a law-applying authority is competent and/or obliged to apply
provisions in the way that is inconsistent with the Constitution, including a provision which has, on the basis of a ruling
by the Constitutional Tribunal, ceased to have effect due to being inconsistent with the Constitution
to Article 2,
Article 7, Article 8(1) in conjunction with Article 8(2) and Article 91(2), Article 90(1), Article 178(1) as well as
Article 190(1) of the Constitution of the Republic of Poland;
3) Article 19(1), second subparagraph, in conjunction with Article 2 of the TEU
construed in the way that it authorises
a court to review the independence of judges appointed by the President of the Republic of Poland as well as to review
the National Council of the
Judiciary’s resolution to refer a request to the President of the Republic to appoint a
judge
to Article 8(1) in conjunction with Article 8(2), Article 90(1) and Article 91(2), Article 144(3)(17) as well Article 186(1)
of the Constitution of the Republic of Poland,
adjudicates as follows:
1. Article 1, first and second paragraphs, in conjunction with Article 4(3) of the Treaty on European Union (Journal
of Laws
Dz. U. of 2004 No. 90, item 864/30, as amended)
insofar as the European Union, established by equal
and sovereign states, creates “an ever closer union among the peoples of Europe”, the
integration of whom
EUU, Alm.del - 2021-22 - Bilag 63: Henvendelse til Folketingets formand fra formanden for det polske underhus vedr. den polske forfatningsdomstols afgørelse af 7/10-21
happening on the basis of EU law and through the interpretation of EU law by the Court of Justice of the European
Union
– enters “a
new stage”
in which:
a) the European Union authorities act outside the scope of the competences conferred upon them by the Republic
of Poland in the Treaties;
b) the Constitution is not the supreme law of the Republic of Poland, which takes precedence as regards its binding
force and application;
c) the Republic of Poland may not function as a sovereign and democratic state
is inconsistent with Article 2, Article 8 and Article 90(1) of the Constitution of the Republic of Poland.
2. Article 19(1), second subparagraph, of the Treaty on European Union
insofar as, for the purpose of ensuring
effective legal protection in the areas covered by EU law
it grants domestic courts (common courts, administrative
courts, military courts, and the Supreme Court) the competence to:
a) bypass the provisions of the Constitution in the course of adjudication
is inconsistent with Article 2, Article 7,
Article 8(1), Article 90(1) and Article 178(1) of the Constitution;
b) adjudicate on the basis of provisions which are not binding, having been revoked by the Sejm and/or ruled by
the Constitutional Tribunal to be inconsistent with the Constitution
is inconsistent with Article 2, Article 7, Article 8(1), Article 90(1) and Article 178(1), and Article 190(1) of the
Constitution.
3. Article 19(1), second subparagraph, and Article 2 of the Treaty on European Union
insofar as, for the purpose
of ensuring effective legal protection in the areas covered by EU law and ensuring the independence of judges
they grant domestic courts (common courts, administrative courts, military courts, and the Supreme Court) the
competence to:
a) review the legality of the procedure for appointing a judge, including the review of the legality of the act in which
the President of the Republic appoints a judge
are inconsistent with Article 2, Article 8(1), Article 90(1)
and Article 179 in conjunction with Article 144(3)(17) of the Constitution;
b) review the legality of the National Council of the Judiciary’s resolution to refer a
request to the President of the
Republic to appoint a judge
are inconsistent with Article 2, Article 8(1), Article 90(1) and Article 186(1) of the
Constitution;
c) determine the defectiveness of the process of appointing a judge and, as a result, to refuse to regard a person
appointed to a judicial office in accordance with Article 179 of the Constitution as a judge
are inconsistent with
Article 2, Article 8(1), Article 90(1) and Article 179 in conjunction with Article 144(3)(17) of the Constitution.
Moreover, the Tribunal decides:
to discontinue the proceedings as to the remainder.
The ruling was adopted by a majority vote.
Julia Przyłębska
Zbigniew Jędrzejewski
Mariusz Muszyński
Krystyna Pawłowicz
Stanisław Piotrowicz
Justyn Piskorski
Piotr Pszczółkowski
(dissenting opinion)
Bartłomiej Sochański
Michał Warciński
Rafał Wojciechowski
Jarosław Wyrembak
(dissenting opinion)
Andrzej Zielonacki