WARSAW: Two top justices were suspended this morning and now face criminal prosecution.
Police are stationed outside the Constitutional Tribunal after the government moved against judges it claims were unlawfully appointed.
The standoff puts Poland’s ruling coalition on collision course with court loyalists who refuse to recognize the suspensions.
Whoever controls the court controls which laws stand and which fall.
◆ Why it matters
Poland’s government is forcing a confrontation over judges it says were installed illegally under the previous administration. The suspended justices and their allies inside the building are refusing to step aside, which is why police are now positioned outside. If the government wins, it reclaims veto power over its own legislation. If the court holds, the coalition loses credibility and legal reform stalls.
Source: BBC World