Poland: Prosecutor General issues payment demands to Supreme Court judges

Poland's Prosecutor General, Waldemar Żurek, has signed the first six payment demands directed at several so-called "neo-judges" of the Supreme Court. These demands are part of civil recourse proceedings intended to recover costs incurred by the state.

Żurek stated that the total amount already paid out by the Polish state due to rulings made by these judges has reached 6.5 million PLN. These payments are compensations awarded by the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) to Polish citizens. The ECHR has repeatedly indicated that individuals appointed to the Supreme Court through flawed procedures involving the National Council of the Judiciary (KRS) do not constitute a valid court.

According to the Prosecutor General, over 1,200 cases involving these judges are currently frozen at the ECHR. He expressed concern that if these cases are unfrozen, the state will face a continuous wave of losses due to established legal precedents regarding the validity of these judicial appointments.