BREAKING NEWS: Presidential veto for controversial legal changes
PR dla Zagranicy
Paweł Kononczuk
24.07.2017 10:26
Polish President Andrzej Duda said on Monday he would veto two controversial government-backed bills to overhaul the country’s courts, amid a political storm over the judiciary.
Andrzej Duda. Photo: PAP/Paweł Supernak
Calling for calm, in a special televised address Duda, who hails from Poland's ruling conservative Law and Justice (PiS) party, said he would veto bills to reform the Supreme Court and a powerful judges' ethics council.
Thousands have taken took to the streets across Poland over the last week to protest at the PiS government’s planned changes to the judicial system and calling for the president to veto them.
Duda said that “wise” changes to the judiciary were needed, but added that he was against strengthening the influence of the Attorney General over the Supreme Court.
Duda has up to now had an almost impeccable record of signing into law bills passed by the PiS-dominated parliament.
PiS has said sweeping changes are needed to reform an inefficient and sometimes corrupt judicial system, accusing judges of being an elite, self-serving clique often out of touch with the problems of ordinary citizens.
(pk)