The European Court of Justice (ECJ has ruled that Poland is to immediately suspend the functioning of laws concerning the Disciplinary Chamber of the Supreme Court.
The ECJ declared that although the organization of the judiciary is the competence of EU member states, they have a responsibility to ensure they are in compliance with EU law.
“Poland is required to immediately suspend the application of state laws concerning the properties of the Disciplinary Chamber of the Supreme Court in judge disciplinary cases. The accusations raised by the European Commission (EC) concerning the actual and legal states justify the use of temporary measures,” the ECJ wrote in a statement.
In the published verdict, which is not the final resolution of the conflict, the court pointed out that each member state should ensure that disciplinary measures towards judges should respect their independence.
The ECJ stressed that this also concerns guaranteeing that verdicts published in disciplinary cases initiated against judges remain under the control of a body which itself fulfills the conditions associated with efficient judiciary protection.
