Poland's Sejm Elects Six New Constitutional Judges Amid Deepening Judicial Crisis

Poland's Sejm elected six new judges to the Constitutional Tribunal on March 13, 2026, deepening a constitutional standoff between the ruling coalition and the opposition. All six candidates recommended by the Presidium of the Sejm were approved: Krystian Markiewicz, Maciej Taborowski, Marcin Dziurda, Anna Korwin-Piotrowska, Magdalena Bentkowska, and Wojciech Sych. According to web search results, Markiewicz received 236 votes in the ballot. Before the judicial vote, the ruling coalition passed a resolution targeting the current status of the Tribunal, specifically directed at its president, Bogdan Święczkowski. Critics from the opposition described the resolution as an attack on an independent constitutional body.

Poland's Constitutional Tribunal has been at the center of a prolonged political and legal dispute since 2015, when the then-ruling Law and Justice party made controversial appointments to the court that were challenged by the opposition and European institutions. The conflict over the Tribunal's composition and legitimacy has persisted across successive governments, with each side accusing the other of undermining the rule of law. The current ruling coalition, which came to power after the 2023 parliamentary elections, has sought to reconstitute the court, arguing that earlier appointments were unlawful.

Jarosław Kaczyński, leader of Law and Justice and a former prime minister, condemned the Sejm's actions in sharp terms. „To jest bezprawie i za to bezprawie będą rozliczenia” (This is lawlessness, and there will be settlements for this lawlessness) — Jarosław Kaczyński via polityka.se.pl Kaczyński also raised the prospect of confrontation going further, with the outlet Do Rzeczy reporting his suggestion that the dispute could involve "perhaps the use of force." The opposition also raised procedural objections to the vote itself, with Niezalezna.pl reporting that the rapporteur allegedly omitted one of the candidates during the proceedings, which critics argued rendered the vote legally defective. The ruling coalition disputed those characterizations.

A central question following the vote is whether President Karol Nawrocki will administer the oath of office to the newly elected judges, a step required before they can take up their posts. According to a constitutional law expert cited by Rzeczpospolita, swearing the oath is a condition for assuming the position of a Constitutional Tribunal judge. Waldemar Żurek, described in source articles as the minister who championed the new appointments, appealed to President Nawrocki to accept the oaths. Nawrocki has served as President of Poland since August 6, 2025, and his decision on the swearing-in is expected to determine whether the new judges can begin their work.

The newly elected judges include prominent legal figures. Krystian Markiewicz is a specialist in civil law and civil procedure, holding a postdoctoral degree, and has served as president of the Polish Judges' Association Iustitia since 2016. Maciej Taborowski is a specialist in European Union law and international law, a professor at the Institute of Legal Sciences of the Polish Academy of Sciences, and served as Deputy Ombudsman from 2019 to 2022. Krystyna Pawłowicz, whose term as a Constitutional Tribunal judge ended in 2025, also commented publicly on the appointment procedures, as reported by wpolityce.pl. The opposition outlet Niezalezna.pl argued that the political backgrounds of the nominees undermined claims of judicial independence and impartiality.