Politicized juries threaten judicial independence

Local politicians openly declare that they used their influence to secure jurors' jobs for those of their supporters who failed to be elected to municipal councils. "We wanted to keep [these people] interested in the party," explained one politician. The juries are full of former or current councilors, as well as friends and families of prominent local politicians. The proportion of jurors with no party allegiance is sometimes close to zero. This, according to Transparency International, an anti-corruption watchdog, is a sure way to quash judicial independence. (Rzeczpospolita, pp. A1, A4) A.N.