Ireland halts Pole extradition over judiciary overhaul

An Irish High Court judge has suspended the extradition case of Polish drug dealer and referred the case to the European Court of Justice over concerns that recent judicial reforms have been “so immense” that the rule of law in Poland has been damaged. The suspect, Artur C. (last name withheld due to Polish privacy laws) has been arrested last may on drug trafficking charges. He objected to being extradited to his native country, claiming that the recent reforms to the judiciary prevent him from having a fair trial and asked to be tried in Ireland. Irish High Court Judge Aileen Donnelly suspended the extradition process and asked the ECJ to give an opinion. “This Court concludes, based upon the information before it, that the rule of law in Poland has been systematically damaged by the cumulative impact of all the legislative changes that have taken place over the last two years. Respect for the rule of law is essential for mutual trust in the operation of the European arrest warrant,” she said, Poland’s Justice Ministry said that this decision only postpones the punishment of a dangerous criminal. “It is incomprehensible that general, abstract deliberations, projections and speculations become the basis of such an important decision as the handover of a criminal sought in the whole of Europe,” Deputy Justice Minister Marcin Warchoł said.