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Bill
Warsaw, March 16, 2017 (Reuters/NAN) Poland’s constitutional court on Thursday gave its final approval to a bill that could be used to ban certain demonstrations and part of a wider crackdown on opponents by the right-wing government.
The freedom of assembly bill gives officials the power to ban counter-demonstrations within 100 metres of a rally deemed to be of national importance by state authorities such as historical anniversaries.
Critics said the new law could be used to restrict unwanted protests by a government.
The government had already been accused by the European Commission of undermining the rule of law and democracy in Poland.
The nationalist-minded Law and Justice (PiS) party has already passed several laws that make it more difficult for the court to challenge new legislation.
The moves were criticised by the EU and Poland’s western allies.
Under Poland’s current rules on demonstrations, local authorities give precedence to whichever organisation filed the first request to stage a rally or protest.
The right-wing PiS faced mass protests in 2016 over its overhaul of the constitutional court and a plan to ban abortion that was later dropped.
The ruling obliges President Andrzej Duda, a close ally of PiS to sign the bill into law.
Duda had at first refused and sent it to the Constitutional Tribunal.
PiS-appointed Judge Mariusz Muszynski, announced the verdict to an empty chamber via a video feed after the court had banned the media from attending. (Reuters/NAN)
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Edited by Celine-Damilola Oyewole/Ese E. Ekama