<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><p>Poland has recently experienced a constitutional crisis. The crisis involves the role of the Law and Justice Party (PiS) in the election of judges and amendments to the Constitutional Tribunal Act which threatens the independence of the Tribunal. The situation is exacerbated by changes in the media, civil service, police, and prosecution laws introduced by the ruling party. This article analyses the changes, as well as the domestic and international reactions to the crisis, and considers whether the heavy criticism of the PiS is justified, or whether it results from, for instance, specific characteristics of the Polish political system and an unfavourable opinion in Europe about the Law and Justice party.</p></abstract>

Poland has recently experienced a constitutional crisis. The crisis involves the role of the Law and Justice Party (PiS) in the election of judges and amendments to the Constitutional Tribunal Act which threatens the independence of the Tribunal. The situation is exacerbated by changes in the media, civil service, police, and prosecution laws introduced by the ruling party. This article analyses the changes, as well as the domestic and international reactions to the crisis, and considers whether the heavy criticism of the PiS is justified, or whether it results from, for instance, specific characteristics of the Polish political system and an unfavourable opinion in Europe about the Law and Justice party.

Polish Democracy Under Threat? An Issue of Mere Politics or a Real Danger?

Baltic Journal of Law & Politics

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

{"article-title":"Polish Democracy Under Threat? An Issue of Mere Politics or a Real Danger?"}

Poland has recently experienced a constitutional crisis. The crisis involves the role of the Law and Justice Party (PiS) in the election of judges and...

Polish Democracy Under Threat? An Issue of Mere Politics or a Real Danger?

Published Online: Oct 17, 2016

Page range: 49 - 68

Received: Feb 19, 2016

Accepted: May 17, 2016

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1515/bjlp-2016-0003

Keywords
Constitutional crisis, Constitutional Tribunal, Poland, Law and Justice Party, criticism, rule of law, democracy

© 2016 Sava Jankovic, published by De Gruyter Open

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

Polish Democracy Under Threat? An Issue of Mere Politics or a Real Danger?

Published Online: Oct 17, 2016

Page range: 49 - 68

Received: Feb 19, 2016

Accepted: May 17, 2016

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1515/bjlp-2016-0003

KeywordsConstitutional crisis, Constitutional Tribunal, Poland, Law and Justice Party, criticism, rule of law, democracy

© 2016 Sava Jankovic, published by De Gruyter Open

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

Keywords
Constitutional crisis, Constitutional Tribunal, Poland, Law and Justice Party, criticism, rule of law, democracy