Poland's ex‑Constitutional Tribunal presidents urge swearing‑in to end court crisis

Former presidents of Poland's Constitutional Tribunal – Marek Safjan, Jerzy Stępień and Andrzej Zoll – met with the head of the Presidential Chancellery, Zbigniew Bogucki, on 19 June after sending a letter to President Karol Nawrocki on 28 April. In the meeting they urged the president to accept the oath of five judges, including newly elected judge Sławomir Patyra, and to combine this with a re‑oath of judges appointed in March 2026. They argue that the current refusal to let these judges assume office violates constitutional principles, paralyzes the Tribunal’s review of laws, and threatens the stability of Poland’s constitutional order. The former presidents said such a step “would open the way to resolve the current crisis.” As of now, they have received no response from the presidential office.

The trio also called for a qualified‑majority appointment procedure in the Sejm to ensure a balanced composition of the Tribunal and warned that continued obstruction undermines the quality of law and citizens’ ability to use constitutional complaints.