Nawrocki says only judges sworn in before the president hold office in Poland

Oath before the president

Karol Nawrocki handed judicial and assessor appointments at the Presidential Palace on Monday, 19 October, after the ceremony began shortly after 14:00. He said there is no other mechanism for becoming a judge in Poland than taking an oath before the President of the Republic of Poland, that is, in his presence. The remarks were made in the context of a dispute over the acceptance of oaths from Constitutional Tribunal judges.

Nawrocki addressed the cameras directly, saying the group of judges gathered in the Column Hall had officially become judges because the president, elected by the will of the nation, had decided so. He added that the constitution does not refer to rulings of international tribunals or opinions of foreign commissions.

“There is no other mechanism to become a judge of the Republic of Poland than to take an oath before the President of the Republic of Poland.”

Tradition and the presidency

According to the president, thousands of judges have taken their oath in his presence since 1989, through the transformation, several social and political crises and geopolitical crises, over more than 35 years. He presented the appointments not only as a constitutional matter but also as an expression of the nation's respect for judges.

Nawrocki pointed out that the lawmakers decided that the president, chosen by a national vote, should directly hand over appointments and receive the oath of Polish judges. In his speech he also linked the role of judges to independence and conscientiousness, citing a passage from the Book of Jeremiah.

Speech content

The president said the path to the post required determination, hard work and family support, and that holding the office means taking on heavy responsibility for decisions affecting citizens' lives. Reports from the ceremony also noted that he stressed the importance of empathy in a judge's work.

The ceremony is the latest episode in a dispute that has been running in Poland over the status of Constitutional Tribunal judges and the process by which they take office.