Since November 2015, Poland has experienced a number of detrimental changes to the justice system.
The ruling majority has tightened its political grip on the Constitutional Tribunal, the Supreme Court, the National Council of the Judiciary, common courts, and the Public Prosecutor’s Office. In addition, increasingly intense pressure is being exerted on individual judges and prosecutors.
We are a group of lawyers, journalists, and analysts who work at civil society organizations engaged in monitoring the rule of law in Poland: the Wiktor Osiatyński Archive, Civil Development Forum (FOR), and Helsinki Foundation for Human Rights in Warsaw. While our views on economic and social policies are diverse, we are united in our belief that the rule of law is essential for the democratic and pluralistic Poland we want to live in.
We firmly believe that it is necessary to inform and explain the situation in Poland to audiences from abroad. To that end, we have created the Rule of Law in Poland, a new English-language online resource on the backsliding of the rule of law in Poland. Our goal is to gather news, commentary, and analysis in order to provide journalists, academics, politicians, and public opinion with the most accurate view of the events taking place in Poland.
The website consists of three main sections:
- Latest – with news about key current events
- Essential Readings – a growing collection of recommended reports, academic articles, and other relevant documents
- Analysis & Opinion – commentary by both external experts and the Rule of Law in Poland team
We invite you to browse our articles for an in-depth understanding of the project, and to visit us regularly for news and updates at Rule of Law in Poland.