Maciej Berek asks President Karol Nawrocki for Constitutional Tribunal swearing-in date
Newly elected Constitutional Tribunal judge Maciej Berek has formally requested an oath ceremony from President Karol Nawrocki, after his scheduled judicial term failed to begin on 16 September.
Formal request sent to the presidential palace
Maciej Berek, who was elected to Poland's Constitutional Tribunal by the Sejm on 4 September 2026, published a formal letter to President Karol Nawrocki on 21 September 2026. The letter requests the immediate designation of a date and location to take the judicial oath of office. Berek noted that his judicial term was scheduled to begin on 16 September 2026, but the Presidential Chancellery has not established contact regarding a ceremony. He pointed to Article 4, Paragraph 2 of the Act on the Status of Constitutional Tribunal Judges, which specifies that a failure to take the oath is treated as a refusal equivalent to resigning from the judicial position.
Taking the oath by a judge of the Constitutional Tribunal is an obligation. The Sejm elected me as a judge of the Constitutional Tribunal on 4 September 2026. The term to which I was elected should have begun on 16 September 2026.
Presidential objections over professional qualifications
The Chancellery of the President has withheld the ceremony while seeking additional verification regarding Berek's professional qualifications. Presidential spokesperson Rafał Leśkiewicz stated that Karol Nawrocki will administer the oath only after receiving documentation that confirms Berek meets all statutory prerequisites. The chief of the Presidential Chancellery, Zbigniew Bogucki, cited doubts regarding whether Berek fulfilled the requirement of ten years of professional practice as a legal counsel. Official application records show Berek has been licensed as a legal counsel since 2001, though he operated an independent law practice specifically during 2022 and 2023 while working under civil law contracts during other periods.
- Sejm elects Maciej Berek to the Constitutional Tribunal
- Scheduled start date of judicial term passes without oath ceremony
- Berek sends formal letter requesting swearing-in from Karol Nawrocki
Parliamentary response and administration of certificates
Head of the Sejm Chancellery Marek Siwiec addressed the situation during an appearance on TVN24 on 21 September 2026. Siwiec rejected proposals to organize an alternative swearing-in ceremony in the Sejm's Column Hall, a procedure previously used for judges who were not invited to the presidential palace. He explained that parliamentary staff prepared a schedule and legal basis documenting every stage of the nomination and verification process. Siwiec confirmed that the Marshal of the Sejm will deliver an official election certificate to Berek, matching the procedure followed for six tribunal judges elected in March 2026.
We asked for the preparation of a full schedule and legal grounds for what took place at each stage. There is nothing in there about the Column Hall, and for now I am not planning anything.
Berek's administrative and government background
Berek entered the parliamentary confirmation process after being nominated by the ruling Civic Coalition caucus. Before his election to the court, Berek served as minister for supervision of government policy implementation starting in July 2025. He joined Donald Tusk's cabinet in December 2023 as a minister-member of the Council of Ministers and head of the Standing Committee of the Council of Ministers, later leading a government deregulation team formed in March 2025. Parliamentary officials stated that his professional background was reviewed during committee hearings before the full Sejm voted on his nomination on 4 September.
