Law on constitutional court ruled unconstitutional

Poland's Constitutional Tribunal has ruled that a law on the constitutional court passed in Decemeber by the ruling Law and Justice (PiS) party breaches the constitution. The Constiutional Tribunal adjudicated the legislation prevents the court from "reliable and efficient" operation. It said that numerous provisions of the law are unconstitutional, primarily the requirement to adjudicate cases in the order they were filed, the paragraph which says that a full bench comprises 13 of all 15 justices and that 2/3 of votes are needed to pass a verdict. In the previous version of the law, verdicts were passed with a simple majority with five judges present or nine in cases of particular importance. The Tribunal also stated that permissions included in the law allowing to dismiss a justice by parliament and to launch a disciplinary proceeding against him by the Justice Minister or by the President breach the constitution. The verdict won't put to an end to the constitutional crisis in Poland as Prime Minister Beata Szydło said on Tuesday that the government won't publish it. In her opinion, Wednesday's court seating was not legal since only 12 judges attended it, instead of 13 required by the PiS-backed amendment.