Senate approves Supreme Court legislation

The upper house of parliament approved the controversial Supreme Court bill after a heated discussion on Saturday. The decision whether to implement it is now in President’s Andrzej Duda hands, who has 21 days to either sign it, veto it, or send it to the recently overhauled by Law and Justice (PiS) Constitutional Tribunal for further examination. The new law forces the immediate retirement of all supreme court judges — a move seen as undermining the independence of the country’s judiciary. It follows similar laws which overhaul the National Council of the Judiciary (KRS), a body responsible for nominating judges, while another bill gives the justice minister the right to assign judges to district and appeals court. Tens of thousands of protesters have been gathered in cities across Poland for days for candle-lit vigils, chanting "Free Courts" and demanding that Duda vetoes the bill.