Trust in the justice system slid 6.2 percentage points year-on-year to 36.1%, compared with 42.3% in October 2024, a year after parliamentary elections.
Only 2.3% “definitely” trust the courts — a record low, the daily noted. In 2023 that figure was 5.3%, and in 2016 it was 12.9%.
Strong distrust has grown sharply: the share of respondents who “definitely” do not trust the courts rose by 10.1 points to 23.1% from 13% a year earlier.
Confidence in the Constitutional Tribunal stands at 30.3%, unchanged from last year, but the “definitely trust” share slipped from 6.6% to 5.5%. Since autumn 2024, distrust toward the tribunal has climbed from 49.7% to 54.5%. Trust in the prosecutor’s office also fell, from 40% to 37.4%.
“Resolving disputes and prosecuting crimes are crucial to social life, and trust in the institutions tasked with these roles is essential for public approval of how it is done,” said Przemysław Rosati, head of the National Bar Council.
Judge Krystian Markiewicz, former president of the Iustitia judges’ association, said the results reflect a broader crisis of confidence in the state and public institutions.
“I think this is a red card shown to everyone, both judges and politicians,” he told Rzeczpospolita, adding he is not surprised Poles have a poor view of the courts “when they see the scenes that recently took place, for example during the proceedings of the State Tribunal.”
(jh)
Source: PAP