WARSAW — Thousands of people, including judges and lawyers from many EU member states, marched through Warsaw on Saturday to protest against what they say are government attempts to curb the powers of the judiciary in Poland. Last month Poland’s lower house of parliament approved a draft law that would allow judges who question the government’s reforms to be disciplined. In 2017 the European Parliament invoked Article 7 of its governing treaty against Poland for persistently flouting democratic rules, the first time it had used the procedure. But critics say it will curb the judges’ independence, putting pressure on them to rule in favor of government policies. “The situation is very serious, at least in our judgment, and that’s why we are here,” Jose Igreja Matos, President of the European Association of Judges, told Reuters.

Source: National Post January 11, 2020 16:41 UTC