Speaking at a news conference in Warsaw on Thursday, Waldemar Żurek announced a sweeping set of dismissals, saying he had removed more than 50 officials since taking office last week.
The changes include the dismissal of nine officials delegated to the Ministry of Justice and 46 court presidents and vice presidents across the country, he said.
Żurek, a former judge known for his vocal opposition to judicial reforms carried out by the previous Law and Justice (PiS) government, said the changes reflect his commitment to restoring the rule of law in the country.
“In my view, a judge who signed the support lists for the so-called neo-National Council of the Judiciary should reflect on their actions,” he said, referring to a controversial body, known as "neo-KRS," created during PiS’s rule and deemed unconstitutional by many legal experts.
He added: “I am not here to judge these individuals, but I want to choose associates I can trust to implement the difficult reforms ahead, without any risk of sabotage.”
Żurek also said he had asked the interior minister to consider removing 44 judges serving as election commissioners, citing concerns over their previous involvement in “procedures that contradict the constitution.”
However, final decisions on those posts lie with Poland’s National Electoral Commission.
In another move, Żurek dismissed the last remaining disciplinary officer appointed during the tenure of former justice minister Zbigniew Ziobro, and appointed two new legal disciplinary spokespeople. He asked them to consider removing regional deputies who had served under the previous administration.
“For me, the top priority is restoring the rule of law,” said Żurek. “This is not about what should be. It is about how we can act, in real terms, to reestablish a state governed by law.”
Żurek said that without effective institutions – courts, the prosecution service and state offices – citizens cannot truly exercise their constitutional freedoms.
“Those freedoms are meaningless when the institutions meant to protect them don’t work,” he said.
Public trust in the justice system is also at stake, Żurek warned.
“Why do some politicians, whose actions are well known, laugh in the face of accountability? What is the average citizen supposed to think when someone famous walks free, while they themselves are prosecuted for minor offenses? That must change.”
Prime Minister Donald Tusk endorsed Żurek’s bold start. “I don’t know why there’s so much fuss about what Minister Żurek is doing. This is just the warm-up,” Tusk wrote on social media.
Żurek replaced Adam Bodnar as justice minister in a recent government reshuffle. His appointment was unexpected, as his name had not been widely mentioned in media speculation.
(rt/gs)
Source: IAR, PAP