Poland investigates former Constitutional Tribunal President Julia Przyłębska

The Polish prosecution is investigating allegations of misconduct involving former Constitutional Tribunal President Julia Przyłębska. The investigation follows a notification filed by the Helsinki Foundation for Human Rights (HFPC), which alleges that between 2015 and 2020, judicial panels were unlawfully altered in 885 cases to ensure specific political outcomes.

The HFPC claims that at least 176 of these changes may have violated the law, particularly in high-profile cases involving the National Council of the Judiciary, public media, and presidential pardons. The foundation suggests these actions could constitute an abuse of power or failure to perform duties, offenses that carry potential prison sentences.

Julia Przyłębska has denied the allegations, stating that all judicial panels were appointed in accordance with existing regulations and that the foundation is not acting objectively. During her tenure from 2016 to 2024, Przyłębska earned approximately 3.1 million PLN gross, a figure influenced by annual bonuses and court rulings that required the repayment of frozen judicial salaries.