Thread by @StanleySBill

More from the Polish Justice Ministry scandal. Now @OnetWiadomosci has published screen shots suggesting members of the judicial disciplinary chamber and the KRS - both stacked by PiS - shared ideas to harass judges, including abusive cards to head of Supreme Court Gersdorf. 1/

@OnetWiadomosci If true, the allegations not only show more hounding of judges by a group led from inside the Justice Ministry, but also reveal exactly why there was so much protest about the "reforms" that created the new disciplinary chamber and reshaped the KRS (Judiciary Council). 2/

@OnetWiadomosci Judges appointed to these bodies under the controversial processes controlled by PiS appear to have discussed how to attack independent judges, with access to personal info about them and in cahoots with a senior official in the Ministry. This is precisely what critics feared. 3/

@OnetWiadomosci The judge accused of proposing the abusive card to Gersdorf was promoted by Justice Minister Ziobro under new powers granted by the PiS reform (to fire court presidents and replace them). Then he was appointed to the new disciplinary chamber after PiS's Supreme Court changes. 4/

@OnetWiadomosci Two others who participated in the chat group with those discussing how to hound and discredit independent judges are members of the PiS-shaped Judiciary Council, whose function is to protect judicial independence. This constitutional function appears to be compromised. 5/

@OnetWiadomosci PiS's judicial reform plans have been diluted by internal disagreement and especially by outside pressure (the CJEU). But they have still created the potential for more political control over parts of the judicial system. For more, see my 2018 article. 6/ notesfrompoland.com/2018/07/31/law…