Poland's President Nawrocki to Swear in New Constitutional Tribunal Judge

Karol Nawrocki Sławomir Patyra Constitutional Tribunal judicial oath controversy Polish judiciary

President Karol Nawrocki announced that on Tuesday, 28 July 2026, he will accept the oath of office (ślubowanie) from Prof. Sławomir Patyra, the judge elected by the Sejm in June to replace the outgoing member of the Constitutional Tribunal. The decision, communicated by the president’s chief of staff Zbigniew Bogucki on X, cites article 4 § 1 of the law governing the status of Constitutional Tribunal judges.

The move comes amid a wider dispute over the swearing‑in of other judges selected earlier by the Sejm. Former Tribunal president Andrzej Zoll criticised the president’s selective approach as “political games,” noting that four other judges remain unable to sit. Patyra had repeatedly written to the president requesting a ceremony, emphasizing the constitutional requirement that the oath be taken before the head of state. On the same day, Nawrocki is also set to appoint four new Supreme Court judges and to name 211 district‑court and 18 regional‑administrative assessors.

The controversy reflects ongoing tensions between the executive, the Sejm, and the judiciary over the composition and authority of the Constitutional Tribunal.