Venice Commission to adopt report on Polish police powers

Ahead of adopting its report, the Commission, an advisory group to rights body the Council of Europe, was on Thursday to meet with Polish officials in Venice for talks.

Poland’s ruling conservative Law and Justice (PiS) party has argued that a law on police powers which came into force in February is a response to the threat of terrorist attacks in Europe and the growing use of the internet by radicals.

The new rules have sparked street protests in Poland, but the government has denied that the measures limit law-abiding citizens’ freedom on the internet.

However, politicians from the opposition Civic Platform party say the new law violates civil liberties.

The rules have also come under fire from Poland’s Commissioner for Human Rights, the Inspector General for Personal Data Protection, legal bodies and non-governmental organizations.

The Venice Commission is on Friday also to consider the issue of Poland’s Constitutional Tribunal, which is at the centre of an ongoing row that has pitted the governing Law and Justice party against much of the Polish opposition.

The Venice Commission in March urged the Polish government to publish a key ruling by the country's Constitutional Tribunal – a step needed to make the verdict binding – in order to end a political and legal deadlock.

The Venice Commission also warned that the rule of law, democracy and human rights were in danger as long as Poland was embroiled in a constitutional crisis “and as long as the Constitutional Tribunal cannot carry out its work in an efficient manner.” (pk)

Source: PAP