Polish Financial Ombudsman Wins Supreme Court Ruling on Consumer Loan Case

Poland’s Financial Ombudsman (Rzecznik Finansowy) secured a victory before the Supreme Court, which upheld the Ombudsman’s extraordinary appeal concerning a 2019 consumer loan of 7,000 zł secured by a blank bill of exchange. The lower‑court payment order was issued solely on the basis of the bill, without examining the loan contract for potentially abusive clauses, contrary to Polish and EU law. The Supreme Court agreed that the trial court failed to conduct the mandatory review, resulting in the enforcement of the order being suspended until the appeal is fully resolved, thereby protecting the borrower’s rights.

The decision highlights the requirement for courts to assess loan agreements for prohibited terms under Directive 93/13 and reinforces consumer protection standards in Poland’s lending sector.