Supreme Court Head Criticizes Giertych Protest Templates

“It was foolish and reckless for politicians to enable protest templates to take precedence. These are two virtually identical motions consolidated for joint review,” Manowska stated. “People are so focused on spreading these templates that we even receive sticky notes that say ‘I support Roman Giertych’s protest,’ signed, with a PESEL number.”

Voters’ Role and Legal Process
Manowska said real doubts were formulated in some 150 separate protests, in which voters themselves pointed out irregularities at polling stations or in vote tallies. She explained that the Supreme Court abides by the Electoral Code in deciding about protests and may dismiss those that do not have formal or legal grounds.

Adam Bodnar, the Polish Ombudsman, has already submitted a motion to examine the ballots in 1,472 District Electoral Commissions. But Manowska reminded the public that as a special election participant, Bodnar cannot expand the range of protests or allegations. “We have another 150 or so responses we are still waiting on from the attorney general’s office,” she added.

Voter Fraud and the Independence of the Judiciary
In response to questions about the scope of possible irregularities in this year’s presidential election, Manowska acknowledged that there were isolated problems, but she said they could be the result of fatigue or carelessness among election officials. “Nothing like this should happen, but we don’t know if anyone looked for them before,” she said.

She also spoke about the future of the Extraordinary Control Chamber, expressing concerns over political interference in shaping judges’ decisions. “Should I be worried now because a president candidate says that I’m not a judge and 3,000 judges should go to the street?” she asked.

Judicial Views and Political Neutrality
Manowska concluded by encouraging a balanced approach toward judges’ public presence and opinions. “The judges are barred from political parties but not from having a view. We have seen judges in the media on all sides — this should come as no surprise,” she concluded.