Hundreds of protesters gathered outside Poland’s Constitutional Tribunal in Warsaw on Friday (30 Oct) night as riot police secured the building following the suspension of tribunal president Bogdan Święczkowski, with clashes leading to several arrests. The unrest marked the latest escalation in a long-running dispute over the country’s judiciary.
President Karol Nawrocki cut short an overseas trip and accused Prime Minister Donald Tusk’s government of attempting to seize control of the court.
The government rejects that characterisation, arguing the move is part of efforts to restore judicial independence after reforms introduced under the former Law and Justice (PiS) government, which the European Union said undermined the rule of law. Opponents contend the suspension of the tribunal’s leadership is itself unconstitutional.
The standoff highlights the continuing challenges facing Poland’s efforts to resolve years of institutional and judicial disputes, with competing interpretations of constitutional authority remaining at the centre of the country’s political and legal crisis.