The Civil Procedure Code – evaluating the correctness of the election process with regard to a judge of the Tribunal, the President of the Tribunal and the Vice-President of the Tribunal K 10/17
Ref. No. K 10/17
JUDGMENT
IN THE NAME OF THE REPUBLIC OF POLAND
Warsaw, 11 September 2017
The Constitutional Tribunal, in a bench composed of:
Grzegorz Jędrejek – Presiding Judge
Zbigniew Jędrzejewski – Judge Rapporteur
Leon Kieres
Michał Warciński
Andrzej Zielonacki,
having considered, at a sitting in camera on 11 September 2017 – in accordance with Article 92(1)(1) of the Act of 30 November 2016 on the Organisation of the Constitutional Tribunal and the Mode of Proceedings Before the Constitutional Tribunal (Journal of Laws – Dz. U. item 2072) – an application lodged by a group of Sejm Deputies with the Tribunal to consider the conformity of:
1) Article 1 of the Act of 17 November 1964 – the Civil Procedure Code (Journal of Laws –Dz. U. of 2016 item 1822, as amended) – insofar as it pertains to evaluating the correctness of the process of electing a judge of the Constitutional Tribunal – to Article 194(1), first sentence, in conjunction with Article 10 of the Constitution of the Republic of Poland, as well as to Article 2 and Article 7 of the Constitution;
2) Article 1 of the Act indicated in point 1 – insofar as it pertains to evaluating the correctness of the process of electing the President and Vice-President of the Constitutional Tribunal – to Article 194(2) in conjunction with Article 10 of the Constitution in conjunction with Article 2 of the Constitution as well as to Article 144(3)(21) in conjunction with Article 10 of the Constitution, as well as to Article 7 of the Constitution;
3) Article 68(1) in conjunction with Article 67 of the Act indicated in point 1 – construed in the way that it permits the evaluation of the correctness of the process of electing the President and Vice-President of the Constitutional Tribunal, which leads to the issuance of a document referred to in that provision – to Article 194(2) in conjunction with Article 10 of the Constitution as well as to Article 144(3)(21) in conjunction with Article 10 of the Constitution, as well as to Article 2 and Article 7 of the Constitution;
4) Article 325 of the Act indicated in point 1 – insofar as it permits the issuance of a determination on the correctness of the process of electing a judge of the Constitutional Tribunal – to Article 194(1), first sentence, in conjunction with Article 10 of the Constitution, as well as to Article 2 and Article 7 of the Constitution;
5) Article 325 of the Act indicated in point 1 – insofar as it permits the issuance of a determination on the correctness of the process of electing the President and Vice-President of the Constitutional Tribunal – to Article 194(2) in conjunction with Article 10 of the Constitution, as well as to Article 144(3)(21) in conjunction with Article 10, as well as to Article 2 and Article 7 of the Constitution.
adjudicates as follows:
1. Article 1 of the Act of 17 November 1964 – the Civil Procedure Code (Journal of Laws – Dz. U. of 2016 item 1822, as amended) – insofar as it pertains to evaluating the correctness of the process of electing a judge of the Constitutional Tribunal – is inconsistent with Article 194(1), first sentence, in conjunction with Article 10 of the Constitution of the Republic of Poland.
2. Article 1 of the Act indicated in point 1 – insofar as it pertains to evaluating the correctness of the procedure for presenting candidates for the positions of the President and Vice-President of the Constitutional Tribunal by the General Assembly of the Judges of the Constitutional Tribunal and for appointing them by the President of Poland – is inconsistent with Article 194(2) in conjunction with Article 10 of the Constitution as well as Article 144(3)(21) in conjunction with Article 10 of the Constitution.
3. Article 68(1) in conjunction with Article 67 of the Act indicated in point 1 – insofar as it permits the evaluation of the correctness of the procedure for presenting candidates for the positions of the President and Vice-President of the Constitutional Tribunal by the General Assembly of the Judges of the Constitutional Tribunal and for appointing them by the President of Poland, which leads to the issuance of a document referred to in that provision – is inconsistent with Article 194(2) in conjunction with Article 10 of the Constitution as well as Article 144(3)(21) in conjunction with Article 10 of the Constitution.
4. Article 325 in conjunction with Article 1 of the Act indicated in point 1 – insofar as it permits the issuance of a determination on the correctness of the process of electing a judge of the Constitutional Tribunal – is inconsistent with Article 194(1), first sentence, in conjunction with Article 10 of the Constitution.
5. Article 325 in conjunction with Article 1 of the Act indicated in point 1 – insofar as it permits the issuance of a determination on the correctness of the procedure for presenting candidates for the positions of the President and Vice-President of the Constitutional Tribunal by the General Assembly of the Judges of the Constitutional Tribunal and for appointing them by the President of Poland – is inconsistent with Article 194(2) in conjunction with Article 10 of the Constitution as well as Article 144(3)(21) in conjunction with Article 10 of the Constitution.
Moreover, the Tribunal decides:
pursuant to Article 59(1)(2) of the Act of 30 November 2016 on the Organisation of the Constitutional Tribunal and the Mode of Proceedings Before the Constitutional Tribunal (Journal of Laws – Dz. U., item 2072), to discontinue the proceedings as to the remainder.
The ruling was adopted by a majority vote.
Grzegorz Jędrejek
Zbigniew Jędrzejewski
Leon Kieres (dissenting opinion with regard to the judgment – both its operative part and the statement of reasons)
Michał Warciński
Andrzej Zielonacki