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Alternative title:

Access to an affidavit of support for candidates to the National Council of the Judiciary as an example of the neutralisation of the Polish Constitution

Creator:

Bernaczyk, Michał

ORCID:

0000-0001-7683-8852

Subject and Keywords:

access to information   freedom of information   The Constitution of Poland   separation of powers   judicial independence   Sejm   transparency   National Council of the Judiciary

Description:

Tyt. tomu: Założenie racjonalnego prawodawcy w polskim porządku prawnym. Księga Jubileuszowa z okazji siedemdziesięciopięciolecia Wydziału Prawa, Administracji i Ekonomii Uniwersytetu Wrocławskiego

Abstract:

The article concerns the obstruction of access to public records (affidavits of support for candidates to the Polish National Council of The Judiciary) by the Chancellery of the Sejm, despite its fundamental importance for assessment of the Council’s constitutionality. The concerns expressed by the European Court of Justice on November 19th, 2019 in joint cases A.K. & Others (C-585/18, C-624/18 and C-625/18) followed by Polish Supreme Court resolution BSA I-4110-1/20 of January 23rd, 2020 may boil down to the need of verifying the entire appointment process through the inspection of paper records held by the Sejm. The proactive disclosure of the crucial records by the Sejm in February 2020 took almost two years when the legal dispute regarding the Council’s status had already been resolved by a Supreme Court resolution. Despite strong and clear constitutional provisions for access to such information (art. 54, 61 of the Constitution of Poland), the practical problem lies in the relatively inefficient freedom of information law weakened, ironically by the first victim of such a culture of secrecy, the judiciary itself, and the extreme reluctance of all political actors (including the opposition) in a parliamentary system of government to improve transparency. The article proves that there shall be no compromise over the scope and efficiency of the FOIA law if the records are of fundamental importance for the preservation of constitutional order.

Place of publishing:

Wrocław

Publisher:

Wydawnictwo Uniwersytetu Wrocławskiego

Contributor:

Jabłoński, Mariusz. Red.   Jarosz-Żukowska, Sylwia. Red.

Date issued:

2020

Date copyrighted:

2020

Resource Type:

text

Identifier:

ISSN 0137-1134   ISSN 0239-6661

DOI:

10.19195/0137-1134.120.11

Source:

PAd P 101660 II

Language:

pol   eng

Relation:

Acta Universitatis Wratislaviensis, ISSN 0239-6661, No 3978. Przegląd Prawa i Administracji 2020, 120, cz. 1, s. 133-146

Is version of:

Czasopisma Naukowe w Sieci (CNS)

Access rights:

The use of this material is allowed only with accordance of applicable rules of fair use or other exceptions provided by law, and any broader use requires the permission of the authorized entity

License:

Making materials available on the basis of the agreement with the owner of the property copyrights

Rights holder:

Copyright by Wydawnictwo Uniwersytetu Wrocławskiego Sp. z o.o.

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