# Riot police deployed as rival factions contest leadership of Poland’s top court

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/police-deployed-during-stand-off-over-control-of-top-poland-court/
- Published: 2026-10-31T01:11:43+00:00
- Updated: 2026-10-31T01:32:15+00:00
- Original publisher: BBC World (publisher lean: Centre)
- Original article: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/crz9824d5e88o?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss
- Topics: Government, Politics, World

## Key points

- Police guarded Poland’s top court during a political stand-off.
- The government wants charges against two senior judges.
- The dispute centres on contested appointments and judicial independence.

## Summary

Riot police were deployed at Poland’s Constitutional Tribunal in Warsaw during a stand-off over who has authority to lead the court. The confrontation escalated after Justice Minister Waldemar Żurek sought to lift the immunity of the court’s president and vice-president so they could face criminal charges, deepening a dispute between Prime Minister Donald Tusk’s government and the former governing Law and Justice party.

The dispute stems from appointments made under the PiS-led government, which European courts later said left the tribunal lacking independence. Tusk’s government has relied on those rulings to stop publishing its decisions, while President Karol Nawrocki has blocked efforts to install five judges elected by parliament. Nawrocki cancelled a trip to Senegal and went to the court as PiS supporters gathered outside; the tribunal called the government’s actions a coup, while Tusk said restoring the rule of law required decisive action.

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Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.