A top court judge to apologise for slandering judges - ruling

Stanislaw Piotrowicz, who has been recently appointed a Constitutional Tribunal judge, has been ordered by a court in Warsaw to make a televised apology to the Supreme Court's (SN) first president and a judge after describing some judges as "mere thieves." Piotrowicz has also been ordered to pay PLN 20,000 (EUR 4,700) to a charity. The verdict can still be appealed. The case was brought before the court by SN President Malgorzata Gersdorf and SN judge Krzysztof Raczka. During an August 2018 session of Poland's judicial self-governance body KRS, which was to issue recommendations for SN candidates, Piotrowicz said, referring to an ongoing demonstration outside the building, that a small group of those who are losing their privileges must not block the operation of a constitutional body. Asked by reporters what privileges he had in mind, Piotrowicz said that the point was "to prevent judges who are mere thieves from adjudicating."