FM calls for Venice Commission to postpone its report
15:37
Deputy Foreign Minister Aleksander Stępkowski has called for the postponement of the publication of the opinion of the Council of Europe's Venice Commission concerning the reform to the Constitutional Tribunal due to the leak of a draft document last weekend.
On Saturday, Polish daily Gazeta Wyborcza revealed the report, which read that changes to Poland's constitutional court endanger the rule of law, democracy and human rights.
" I have proposed the Secretary General of the Council of Europe to take measures towards restoring mutual trust. One step, we believe, is to decide to postpone work on the opinion so as to avoid an atmosphere of intensified political battle," Stępkowski said.
Despite the appeal, the Venice Commission said on Thursday afternoon that the report will be published without delay.
"The Bureau of the Venice Commission decided not to postpone the adoption of the opinion on the amendments to the Law on the Constitutional Tribunal of Poland.
Its adoption at the forthcoming plenary session of the Commission, on March 11 - 12, 2016, will allow us to discuss and address, on the basis of the final opinion of the Venice Commission, the real issue at stake, i.e. how to guarantee the continued effectiveness of the Constitutional Tribunal as a guardian of the Constitution," a statement read.
