New ‘police bill’ comes into force
PR dla Zagranicy
Roberto Galea
08.02.2016 11:42
A controversial new law giving police new powers has come into force, after the bill was signed by Polish President Andrzej Duda, with many opponents saying it encroaches on Poles’ privacy.
Photo: Flickr.com/meyerfelix
The bill, drawn up by the ruling Law and Justice (PiS) party, sees amendments to legislation governing the work of the police.
PiS MPs said that it will give police greater access to phone and internet traffic of criminal suspects, while at the same time force security services to fill in better paperwork related to their investigations.
On Saturday, thousands of Poles took to the streets to protest the new law in front of the presidential palace in the Polish capital, Warsaw.
Poles demonstrated with signs reading “Last day of freedom on the internet” on the eve of the law coming into force. Following the protest, President Duda met some of the demonstrators to discuss the changes.
The head of Amnesty International Poland, Draginja Nadażdin, told the PAP news agency following the talks with Duda that the president said he had signed the new law due to time restrictions, explaining that the act had to come in force by 7 February.
“The president said he was aware that this is not a perfect law,” Nadażdin said. (rg/pk)