Thousands of judges and legal professionals from Poland and around the EU took to the streets of Warsaw last Saturday as part of the silent “March of a Thousand Togas.” The protest was in reaction to proposed judicial reforms, including disciplinary measures for „obstructive” judges, passed by the Polish Sejm (lower house) on December 20th.
The legislation has drawn criticism from the European Commission (EC) which claims it violates EU principles regarding the rule of law and norms of judicial independence. In response, the Polish government has argued that similar measures are already in force in other EU member states and has accused Brussels of “unfair treatment.”
The Senate (upper house) now has 30 days to process the legislation. Many politicians, including Speaker of the Senate Tomasz Grodzki, are reserving final judgment until they receive feedback from the Council of Europe’s Venice Commission. Delegates were in Warsaw last week assessing the situation, and the Commission’s official opinion is expected to be released on Wednesday or Thursday of this week.
Source: PAP, polskieradio.pl
Polish film receives official Oscar nomination
The film “Corpus Christi (Boże Ciało)” by director Jan Komasa has been officially nominated for an Oscar in the International Feature Film category of the Academy Awards. The film, which was inspired by real-life events, follows the story of 20-year-old Daniel, a young man who begins to impersonate a priest after being released from juvenile detention.
The Polish actor who plays Daniel, Bartosz Bielenia, previously received the Aluminium Horse Award for Best Actor at the 2019 Stockholm International Film Festival, and was only recently one of only ten young actors selected as a “European Shooting Star” for 2020 by the European Film Promotion board.
“Corpus Christi” received critical praise after its premiere at the Venice Film Festival last year, and received nine awards, including Best Director and Best Screenplay, at the 44th annual Polish Film Festival in Gdynia.
The 92nd annual Academy Awards ceremony will take place in Los Angeles on February 9th, 2020.
Source: The First News
Poles mark the passing of British philosopher and “friend of Poles”
In a statement on Twitter Sunday night, Polish President Andrzej Duda lamented the passing of conservative British philosopher Sir Roger Scruton, “a great friend of Poles and of a sovereign and independent Poland.”
Duda’s words were echoed by those of prominent historian Timothy Garton Ash, who described Scruton as „a man of extraordinary intellect, learning and humour, a great supporter of central European dissidents, and the kind of provocative – sometimes outrageous – conservative thinker that a truly liberal society should be glad to have challenging it.”
Sir Roger Scruton was the author of more than 50 books on aesthetics, morality, and politics, and a lecturer and visiting professor at numerous prestigious British and American academic institutions including Cambridge, Stanford, and Princeton. He was well-known in Polish political and intellectual circles for the research and educational assistance he provided to opposition leaders in Poland and the Czech Republic during communism.
In recognition of his contributions to the Polish state, he was awarded the Knight’s Cross of the Order of Merit of the Republic of Poland by President Duda last June. Scruton passed away on Sunday at the age of 75 due to cancer.
Source: The First News, prezydent.pl
Fewer traffic fatalities in 2020 as feria gets underway
2020 is starting off well according to the Road Traffic Bureau of the Police Headquarters, who reported a 12% drop in road accidents and a 40% drop in fatalities in comparison with the first two weeks of January last year.
Furthermore, last Sunday marked the second day this year without any road fatalities, an extremely rare occurrence according to police. From last Friday to Sunday, there were 183 reported accidents across Poland, which included 11 fatalities and 207 reports of injuries. Additionally, policemen detained 761 drivers for driving under the influence of alcohol.
As the feria winter holiday gets underway in parts of Poland, officials from the Road Traffic Bureau urge drivers to prepare their vehicles for travel and be aware of increased police presence on the roads as well as the likelihood of additional traffic. The provinces of Lubelskie, Łódź, Podkarpackie, Pomorskie and Śląskie will be on winter break from January 11th to the 26th.
Source: PAP
Weather
Today will be mostly cloudy and cool with a slight chance of rain showers later in the day. Temperatures will be slightly cooler than yesterday, with a high of 4 degrees Celsius or 40 degrees Fahrenheit and a strong breeze from the south. Clouds and slightly warmer temps are forecast for tomorrow, with a chance for clearer skies later in the week.
RGEN/EP
