Polish Court Crisis Deepens as Rival Camps Claim Control of Tribunal

Poland’s prolonged constitutional dispute escalated sharply on Friday, with rival camps claiming control of the country’s Constitutional Tribunal, police surrounding its Warsaw headquarters and President Karol Nawrocki abandoning a trip to Senegal to return home.

Anna Korwin-Piotrowska, described as one of the tribunal’s 15 judges, announced the one-month suspension of chairman Bogdan Święczkowski and deputy chairman Bartłomiej Sochański. Her decision, published on the tribunal’s website on the evening of 30 October, accused the two officials of obstructing judges appointed by the Sejm in 2026 and subsequently sworn in from participating in cases.

Korwin-Piotrowska cited a 2016 law governing the tribunal’s organisation and procedures, saying it empowered the longest-serving judge to take such action. She also called a general meeting of tribunal judges for 3 November.

The move immediately produced competing accounts from the institution’s official-looking communications channels. A post on an X account bearing the tribunal’s identity alleged an “illegal seizure” of its website and insisted that Święczkowski and Sochański remained in office. It claimed Korwin-Piotrowska was not a tribunal judge and described those involved as committing the crime of a coup. The tribunal’s website, in turn, said the X account had no connection to the institution.

“I have no idea what is going on. Ms Anna Korwin-Piotrowska called me and said that she now heads the tribunal. I know nothing more,” Sochański told Rzeczpospolita.

Sochański called the development unprecedented and said he knew of no legal provision allowing his removal or such intervention in the independence of the tribunal or an individual judge. He also characterised the events as a coup.

Political confrontation raises European business risk

Prime Minister Donald Tusk backed the temporary removal of the tribunal’s leadership. Tusk and the Sejm are opposed to Nawrocki, whose political camp is the Law and Justice party, or PiS. The prime minister said restoring the rule of law was the government’s duty after years of lawlessness under PiS and described the process as difficult, sometimes painful and requiring decisive action.

For British and European companies, the confrontation matters because Poland is one of the EU’s largest economies and an important market and production base. A sustained dispute over which judges and officials can exercise lawful authority may increase uncertainty around regulation, contracts and the wider institutional environment. The episode therefore adds a political-risk consideration for London investors with exposure to Polish assets, although the source material provides no specific sterling movement or London market reaction.

Nawrocki said he turned his aircraft around while travelling to Senegal on 30 October because of the events surrounding the tribunal. After returning to Poland, he met Święczkowski and Supreme Court First President Zbigniew Kapiński before entering the tribunal building alongside Kapiński, according to presidential chief of staff Paweł Szefernaker.

Korwin-Piotrowska had said she was prepared to meet Nawrocki only at the Presidential Palace. Maciej Berek, a tribunal judge elected by the Sejm but prevented by Nawrocki from taking the oath, accused the president of choosing a path of “physical confrontation” by attempting to enter the building. Berek also said people identifying themselves as presidential office employees tried to obtain keys to rooms in the tribunal.

Police cordon follows protests and reported threat

Warsaw police said Prosecutor General and Justice Minister Waldemar Żurek had asked officers to pay particular attention to security at the tribunal during demonstrations around the building. Police also received a letter from one of the judges reporting a potential threat to life and health.

Officers subsequently cordoned off the building but said they were not stationed inside it. Police reported that protesters threw “dangerous objects” at officers. Three demonstrators were detained after climbing over a barrier and entering the tribunal’s grounds.

The conflict has been developing for several months and centres on the confrontation between Tusk’s government and Nawrocki’s PiS camp. It began when the president refused to accept the oaths of new judges elected by the new parliament. Święczkowski likewise declined to recognise their authority or allow them to participate in cases.

The government considers the tribunal illegitimate because it still includes judges selected under the previous authorities. The governing coalition and judges supporting its position regard Nawrocki’s actions as unlawful obstruction of the institution’s work.

The confrontation widened further on 30 October when Żurek said he had submitted five applications to the Constitutional Tribunal seeking the lifting of immunity. He said the requests included cases concerning Święczkowski and Sochański.

The immediate question is whether the 3 November judicial meeting can establish a workable chain of authority. Until then, the competing claims over the tribunal’s leadership leave Poland facing a constitutional impasse with implications beyond Warsaw, including for EU decision-makers and international businesses assessing legal and political stability in the bloc.