New protests against judiciary reform

Hundreds of protesters gathered in front of the Parliament, where the Law and Justice dominated Senate was scheduled to vote on the judiciary reform which would give the power to nominate judges to the Parliament. Numerous scuffles broke out between protesters and the police, as demonstrators attempted to dismantle barricades set up by the police. According to the authorities, one policeman was injured during the fights. Wednesday protests were much smaller than the ones in July when the ruling Law and Justice attempted to reform the judiciary. Back then thousands of people took to the streets in many Polish cities voicing their opposition. Afterward, President Andrzej Duda vetoed the proposals and submitted his own version of the bill. The new law, if approved by the Senate and President  Duda, lowers the retirement age for the Supreme Court’s judges to 65 from 70, effectively forcing the immediate removal of 40 percent of the currently appointed judges. The Supreme Court confirms election results and is the court of the last appeal in Poland. The other would give lawmakers the right to choose 15 out of the council’s 25 judges, who so far have been selected by other judges. It also introduces the possibility to make a complaint regarding any court’s decision from the past 20 years.