Poland: Thousands of Divorces in Limbo Due to Court Rulings

Thousands of divorces in Poland may be in jeopardy as the government of Donald Tusk seeks to overturn court decisions made by judges appointed during the previous administration. A recent court incident revealed that a divorced couple was still considered married by state services because the initial divorce ruling had been signed by a judge appointed by former Justice Minister, Zbigniew Ziobro.

The dispute centers on the National Council of the Judiciary (KRS), which revised the rules for appointing judges in 2017. EU courts ruled that Ziobro's reform undermined judicial independence. The Tusk government now faces the challenge of dismantling the system established by the previous government without undermining legal certainty.

It is unclear how many similar rulings exist, but it is estimated to involve thousands of cases. The Tusk government is considering measures to limit the impact, including a proposal to allow childless couples to divorce at registry offices. Zbigniew Ziobro, from Budapest, accused the government of causing "chaos and anarchy".