Polish government seeks to restore independence of Constitutional Tribunal

WARSAW: Poland’s new pro-European government on Monday presented a package of solutions that it says will restore the independence of Poland’s top court from political influence after eight years of nationalist rule.

The Law and Justice (PiS) party, voted out last year, has been accused by critics at home and abroad of undermining democratic rules and increasing political influence over courts. PiS said the changes were necessary make the system more fair and efficient and rid it of vestiges of communism. Its overhaul of the judiciary resulted in suspension of billions of euros in EU funds for Poland - which were unblocked last week.

The Constitutional Tribunal, which rules on the validity of laws, is at the heart of the conflict. Below are the main points of contention and its most important recent rulings:Critics of PiS say three of the court’s judges should not have been appointed because they replaced judges already appointed to those positions by parliament.