Święczkowski negatively assessed the vows. “I cannot accept that”

Untypical Vow

Six people elected as judges of the Constitutional Court in March made a vow, but did so in the Sejm. This group included both those who had previously been sworn in by the president and those from whom the head of state did not take the oath. This situation is unprecedented in the past of the 3rd Republic, as no akin events have occurred so far.

Those who did not take a vow before the president did not begin ruling, as was the case in 2015 for the 3 judges elected in an additional procedure by the Sejm. Of all six, only 2 judges who had previously sworn in before the president took office. The remaining 4 did not start office because, as indicated, there was no information about their taking a vow to the head of state.

All elected in this word of parliament – Dariusz Szostek, Magdalena Bentkowska, Krystian Markevich, Maciej Taborowski, Marcin Dziurda and Anna Korwin-Piotrowska – appeared in the Constitutional Court building after the handover of the President's Chancellery of the paper confirming the pledge to the notary.

A gag with a library in the background

The president of the Constitutional Tribunal Bogdan Świętczkowski informed on Thursday that 4 judges who swore only in the Sejm could usage the Library of the Court and the Administration Office on the same terms as another citizens. However, he pointed out that he was incapable to supply them with offices or administrative services. In turn, Markiewicz pointed out that the Court's library is presently not available to citizens.

Once the library was actually a place available to anyone who wanted to usage the library. And so it should be in enlightened countries, not closed. So I read it as a motion that we can learn, we can learn in the library. I am very pleased about this – Markevich joked.

He judged that the reaction of the president of the Constitutional Court was amazing to him. He stressed that the individual in charge of specified an crucial institution, whose task is to control public authority, should act independently and carry out assessments on his own. He pointed out that the Constitution clearly points to the Sejm as a body electing the judges of the Court, which is why making decisions dependent on the President's position is surprising. He besides announced that he and another judges would go to the Court's seat, hoping to be allowed to carry out their duties without having to talk with the President. At the same time, he pointed out that, if necessary, he was ready to talk to the management or administration of the institution, although he felt that the function of a justice in the Court was primarily to rule, alternatively than to have a discussion.

No president, no validity

During the interview with Święczkowski, it was reported that 4 judges had not taken a vow before the President, so they would not be allowed to rule. The situation of Dariusz Szostek and Magdalena Bentkowska, who took an oath under the law in the Presidential Palace, in the presence of the head of state, is different.

In view of these two, the president of the Constitutional Court plans to take concrete action – he stated that they had already taken their positions, were assigned cases and that they were to receive more in the close future. They are to deal primarily with constitutional complaints, i.e. matters considered peculiarly crucial to citizens.

He besides added that he had held a gathering with both 2 sworn judges and 4 persons elected to these posts. He congratulated everyone on the election by the Sejm, stressing that this is an crucial event for anyone who gets specified a mandate.