Poland judicial crisis escalates as justice minister targets constitutional court leaders

WARSAW — Poland's political crisis deepened on Monday as Justice Minister Waldemar Jureks moved to revoke legal protections for senior constitutional court judges, marking an unprecedented escalation in the government's power struggle with the judiciary.

Jurek's demand to strip immunity from Constitutional Court President Bartomiej Swiechowski and the court's deputy chief has set the stage for potential criminal action against the judicial officials. The controversial move reflects intensifying friction between the ruling government and opposition over control of Poland's judicial system, a longstanding flashpoint in the Central European nation's political landscape.

The announcement sparked immediate street demonstrations outside courthouses, forcing authorities to deploy police units to maintain order as tensions boiled over into the late evening hours. The scenes underscored deepening public anxiety over judicial independence and the rule of law in the European Union member state.

The conflict centres on competing visions for the constitutional court's autonomy and decision-making authority, with the government seeking greater leverage over judicial outcomes. Opposition groups and constitutional law experts have warned that the immunity stripping could undermine judicial independence and weaken democratic safeguards.