Participants included Vivien Judith Rose, President of the Slynn Foundation and Judge of the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom, Christopher Vajda, former UK judge at the Court of Justice of the European Union, Charles Crawford, former British Ambassador to Poland, and Stephen Irwin, Chairman of the Slynn Foundation.

Minister Adam Bodnar emphasized that Poland is determined to implement the highest standards of respect for the rule of law, restore constitutional order, and ensure the proper functioning of the judiciary.

Placing the citizen at the center of reforms and reflections on the development of law allows us to move beyond dogmatic or political disputes and view the rule of law as a value that serves the individual. The rule of law is a value that protects human rights, and its loss has negative consequences for both the citizen and the state.

The actions implemented by the Ministry of Justice have a common denominator: the fullest possible protection of human rights. Since the beginning of the year, by decision of the Minister of Justice, all proceedings requiring the consent of the current National Council of the Judiciary in terms of judicial appointments have been suspended. This is just one example of several non-legislative measures through which the government acknowledges and implements the judgments of the Court of Justice of the European Union. No disciplinary proceedings are initiated against judges referring to EU law and courts in order to obtain their opinions on matters concerning the rule of law in Poland.

According to the law on the National Council of the Judiciary passed by the Sejm, Council members will be elected, according to the Constitution, by judges, not politicians. This depoliticization constitutes a fundamental step forward, addressing systemic issues regarding judicial appointments and promotions that have been accumulating for years, creating structural legal uncertainty throughout the judiciary.

The Ministry of Justice, in all its efforts, strives to reconcile what may seem irreconcilable: quick, effective legislative actions on the one hand and strong civil society involvement in ensuring the highest standards of the democratic process on the other.

The Slynn Open Forum is organized by the Slynn Foundation, founded and funded by the Polish-born George Dobry (1918-2018). He was a distinguished English lawyer, barrister, judge, and initiator of cooperation between British and Polish legal communities. In the early 1990s, he established the British Law Centre at the University of Warsaw.

The Slynn Foundation promotes the rule of law, judicial independence, and human rights in its activities. It also popularizes British legal thought.