Supreme Court reverses itself, lifting suspension of Tribunal leaders

Two rulings in four days

The Supreme Court (SN) said in a communiqué on Tuesday, 10 November 2026, that it had annulled its own decision of Friday, 6 November. That earlier decision, issued by judge Zbigniew Korzeniowski, found the court had no jurisdiction over the case and passed it to the Constitutional Tribunal (TK), which the ruling called a separate organ of judicial power. On Tuesday the court reversed that finding after a complaint from counsel for the two judges, and sent the case to its Professional Liability Chamber (Izba Odpowiedzialności Zawodowej), under reference II ZO 178/26. The same chamber then ruled on a separate complaint, under reference II ZZ 3/26, against two orders issued on 30 October. Both of those orders, which imposed a one-month suspension, were annulled as well.

The orders at the centre of the dispute

On 30 October 2026, Anna Korwin-Piotrowska, a Tribunal judge, declared herself the person replacing the Tribunal's president and issued two orders imposing an immediate one-month suspension on Bogdan Święczkowski, the president, and Bartłomiej Sochański, his deputy. She cited her status as the longest-serving judge of the Tribunal. Niezalezna.pl describes that day as a forcible takeover of the Tribunal carried out with police, and both judges rejected her authority. The two men challenged the orders before the Supreme Court, which on 6 November found it lacked competence and referred the case to the Tribunal.

Outlets read the Tuesday decision differently. Niezalezna.pl concluded that Święczkowski remains president and Sochański remains vice-president, while wPolityce.pl reported that the two men now consider themselves fully entitled to lead the court. naTemat.pl asked whether Korwin-Piotrowska, the rest of the Tribunal bench and the justice ministry will accept a ruling issued by a panel it describes as composed of neo-judges.

Reactions and disputed legitimacy

Justice minister and prosecutor general Waldemar Żurek responded on X, mocking Maria Szczepaniec, who heads the chamber that issued the ruling. His post read:

“I am waiting for Ms Szczepaniec to rule that the Earth is flat.”

OKO.press argued that the decision is ineffective because the chamber acted unlawfully, and it calls the chamber's head a neo-judge. The outlet credits Szczepaniec with bringing the reversal through at express speed. The question of which bodies recognise the Tuesday ruling therefore sits at the centre of the dispute.

Next steps and market backdrop

Korwin-Piotrowska has convened a General Assembly of the Tribunal for 17 November, with an agenda that naTemat.pl describes as lifting immunities and custody for a former national prosecutor. The dispute therefore has a further date on the calendar. naTemat.pl also reports that investors saw the zloty at its weakest level in three years in early November, and that the crisis is now reaching financial markets.