Monday's meeting of the Advocates to feature presentation by Polish jurist

Bogdan Jedrys, a sitting appellate judge in Poland, will speak at the next meeting of the Advocates Society on Monday, September 24, at 5:00 p.m., at the offices of Hinshaw & Culbertson, 151 N. Franklin, Suite 2500.

Judge Jedrys is expected to speak on the threats to judicial independence in Poland arising from legislation passed by the current Polish government. Marc Santora and Joanna Berendt, in a September 17 article in the New York Times concerning the White House visit of Polish President Andrzej Duda, wrote:

A law forcing Supreme Court judges to retire at 65 — even if they are currently serving their six-year terms — is being challenged before the European Court of Justice; by the European Commission, the bloc’s executive arm; and in a case on behalf of the dismissed judges.

With Polish judges fighting to keep their jobs, it is unclear who is in charge of the court, which judges can sit on which cases, and whether their rulings will later be called into question.

The government’s changes have inspired resistance from the nation’s judges, who have all but boycotted their own posts.

Of about 10,000 qualified judges in the nation, only around 200 judges and other “applicants” have submitted their names to fill dozens of open positions on the Supreme Court. At least 99 cases have had to be postponed because there are simply not enough judges.

Poland’s top Supreme Court justice, Malgorzata Gersdorf, who was targeted by the new law, has refused to retire, and the person named by Mr. Duda as her replacement said he did not consider himself to be the head of the court.

Judges who have publicly condemned the new law have found themselves hauled before disciplinary chambers, denounced in the right-wing media and threatened by party supporters.

This Monday's Advocates meeting is open to members and non-members alike. The Appellate Lawyers Association of Illinois has signed on as a co-sponsor of the event. Persons wishing to attend must email Advocates Society President Kristen Kozlowski Lyons at attorneykristen@gmail.com.

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Updated 9/22/18 to reflect co-sponsorship by the Appellate Lawyers Association.