The Polish Government’s move to dismantle a controversial disciplinary chamber for judges was nearly complete, after President Andrzej Duda signed a law abolishing the body.
Duda put his signature on the legislation late on Monday.
The law would become binding once it was published in the country’s legal gazette, which was expected on Tuesday.
The dissolution of the chamber of the Polish Supreme Court was among the conditions on which the European Commission had made the release of billions of euros in coronavirus recovery aid contingent.
The Supreme Court chamber, established in 2018, was a centrepiece of judicial reforms pursued by the national-conservative government of the Law and Justice Party (PiS).
It had the power to punish and dismiss any judge.
But last July, the European Court of Justice ruled that Poland’s judicial disciplinary regime was in violation of EU law.
Critics said it undermined the independence of the judiciary and opened the door to political interference.
“A new professional responsibility chamber is to be established in place of the disciplinary chamber.’’
The judges who have been serving on the now-defunct tribunal can move to another court or retire.
The commission said it planned to disburse some 35 billion euros (37.3 billion dollars) from the EU’s massive pandemic recovery fund once Poland dissolves the chamber.
The European Council, the body representing the 27 EU member states, must still validate the commission’s decision.
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