Żurek, a judge from the southern city of Kraków and long-time defender of judicial independence, had not featured in media speculation ahead of the announcement.
His appointment means he will also serve as the country’s prosecutor general, but to do so he will have to resign from the judiciary, as required by Polish law.
Żurek, 55, gained national prominence as a vocal opponent of judicial reforms introduced by the conservative Law and Justice (PiS) government between 2016 and 2023.
He was previously a member and spokesman for the National Council of the Judiciary (KRS), and before that, spokesperson for the Kraków District Court.
He became one of the faces of resistance to PiS’s controversial restructuring of the judiciary, which critics—including the European Union—said undermined judicial independence and the rule of law.
Żurek repeatedly criticized legislative changes that allowed the lower house of Poland’s parliament to elect judicial members of the KRS, replacing the previous system in which judges chose their own representatives.
In 2017, he warned that these changes “extinguish constitutional terms of office via ordinary legislation,” calling it a de facto change to the constitution.
He also co-organized public protests such as the “March of a Thousand Robes” in 2020 and was active in judges' associations such as Themis and Iustitia, both of which opposed PiS-led reforms.
‘No one will intimidate or break me’
Over the years, Żurek became the target of multiple disciplinary proceedings, launched under the previous government. Żurek said the aim was to “wear me down physically” through legal harassment.
In 2021, he told the oko.press media outlet: “Even if they open more cases against me, I’ll manage. I’ll keep doing what I do, defending free courts and meeting with citizens. No one will intimidate or break me.”
Two major rulings from European courts supported Żurek’s legal challenges. In 2021, the European Court of Justice ruled that his transfer within the Kraków court system without consent could violate the principle of judicial independence.
In 2022, the European Court of Human Rights found that Poland had violated Żurek’s rights by not allowing him to appeal the early termination of his mandate in the KRS. The court awarded him EUR 25,000 in damages.
Żurek was also one of the judges targeted in Poland’s so-called “hate campaign scandal,” which came to light in 2019.
According to reporting by the Onet news website, officials in the justice ministry coordinated online attacks against critical judges using social media accounts.
In February this year, the Supreme Court’s Professional Responsibility Chamber declined to lift the immunity of Judge Jakub Iwaniec, a former justice ministry official accused of defaming Żurek online.
Earlier this year, Żurek sued the Polish state over the hate campaign, arguing the government must take responsibility for what he described as a coordinated attempt to intimidate independent judges. “The state should seek compensation from those responsible. Let them pay. That is important for the future,” he told reporters.
Żurek studied law at Jagiellonian University in Kraków and specializes in civil law, particularly inheritance law.
In recent years, his legal battles have included not only political and professional matters but also personal issues. In 2020, former Justice Minister Zbigniew Ziobro filed an extraordinary appeal in the Supreme Court regarding Żurek’s divorce-related property settlement, a move Żurek denounced as a political misuse of judicial powers.
Under Polish law, a sitting judge, unless retiring, must resign from office upon accepting a senior state role. Żurek is expected to follow this requirement in the coming days.
(rt/gs)
Source: IAR, PAP