Expert gathering on the implementation of the judgement of the ETPCzn on “Wałęsa v Poland”

On 25 November 2025, a working, expert gathering was held at the seat of the territory Bar Council in Warsaw on the implementation of the European Court of Human Rights judgement on Wałęsa v Poland. The event was organized jointly by the Free Courts Foundation and the territory Bar Council in Warsaw.

The gathering was of a substantive nature and focused both on the analysis of the current state of implementation of the judgement and on the diagnosis of the challenges of its pilot nature. The discussion focused primarily on how to implement the Strasbourg and EU standards in Polish justice – so that they truly strengthen the protection of individual rights and the quality of judicial proceedings.

The event was attended by judges, lawyers, lawyers, representatives and representatives of social organisations and public institutions, representatives of the academic community including:

• adw. dr Katarzyna Gajownik-Pruszyńska – Dean of ORA in Warsaw
• adw. Sylwia Gregorczyk-Abram – Free Courts Foundation
• adw. dr Katarzyna Wiśniewska – Foundation of Free Courts
• Judge Dariusz Mazur – Undersecretary of State at the Ministry of Justice
• Ms Marta Kaczmarska, Minister of abroad Affairs
• Prof. dr hab. Marek Safjan – retired judge, erstwhile justice of the TEU
• Prof. dr hab. Robert Grzeszczak – WPIA University of Warsaw
• Dr Janusz Roszkiewicz – Office of the Ombudsman
• Dr Hanna Machinska
• Judge of the ultimate Court Dr. Michał Laskowski
• Judge of the ultimate Court Dariusz Zawistowski
• Adj. Monika Gąsiorowska – Human Rights Section at ORA, Human Rights Committee at NRA
• Adj. Margaret Meal-Pacholak – Vice-President of the Committee on Human Rights at the NRA
• Judge Piotr Gąciarek – Association of Polish Judges Iustitia
• Judge Dr Urszula Żółtak – Association of Polish Judges Iustitia
• Judge Irena Kamińska – The Association of Judges Themis
• Prosecutor Milena Tabor – Lex Super Omnia
• adw. Marcin Wolny – Helsinki Foundation for Human Rights
• adw. Dr Adam Płoszka – Amnesty International
• Patryk Wachowiec, Erik Ziędalski – FOR Civic improvement Forum
• adw. Piotr Czapla – Free Court Foundation
• apl. adw. Robert Lisiewicz – Foundation of Free Courts
• adw. Maria Sankowska-Borman, Press spokeswoman ORA

In the course of the discussion, it was pointed out that there are inactive no comprehensive, systemic arrangements for guaranteeing the right to a legal court and the pilot nature of the judgement Wałęsa v Poland requires immediate and comprehensive legislative action. Attention has besides been drawn to the request to search all available means to guarantee a improvement of the judiciary that effectively guarantees the protection of individual rights, as well as the tools that the judges can already usage today, referring to the case law of the European courts. It was besides stressed that the failure to enforce the judgments of the ETPCz has serious consequences for citizens, leading to the extension and suspension of proceedings and exacerbating the state of legal uncertainty, and that the implementation of the judgement would give a clear signal to reconstruct citizens' assurance in the State and its institutions.

At the end of the expert part, a press briefing was held, during which representatives and representatives of the organisers and invited institutions presented the main findings of the gathering to the media and discussed the perspectives of legislative work on the implementation of the judgment.