Thousands protest against Poland's plan to discipline judges

Thousandsof people, includingjudgesand lawyers from many EU member states, marched through Warsaw on Saturday toprotestagainstwhat they say are government attempts to curb the powers of the judiciary in Poland.

Last monthPoland'slower house of parliament approved a draft law that would allowjudgeswho question the government's reforms to bedisciplined.

The European Commission has said theplanned legislation would imperil the rule of law, deepening a standoff with the ruling Law and Justice (PiS) party.

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In 2017 the European Parliament invoked Article 7 of its governing treatyagainstPoland for persistently flouting democratic rules, the first time it had used the procedure.

The latest legislation was drawn up after somejudgesquestioned the independence of peers nominated by a panel set up by the PiS-dominated parliament after nationalists won the 2015 elections.

PiS says the new law is necessary to make the judiciary more efficient.

But critics say it will curb thejudges' independence, putting pressure on them to rule in favour of government policies.Poland'sSupreme Court said in December Warsaw could end up leaving the EU over the dispute.

Saturday'sprotest, tagged as "1,000 Robes March", was headed by a group ofjudgeswearing robes and carrying banners that read "The right to independence" and "The right to Europe".

"It is not usual for us to go out in robes toprotestagainstdepriving people of their right to courts," said Krystian Markiewicz, President of the PolishJudgesAssociation Iustitia, one of the march organisers.

"We are doing this for the citizens."

Judgesfrom 22 European countries, including Germany, France, and Spain, participated in theprotest, Iustitia said.

The march started in front of the Supreme Court, passed the president's office and ended at the parliament building to symbolise the principle of separation of powers, which the organisers say is now under threat.

"The situation is very serious, at least in our judgment, and that's why we are here," Jose Igreja Matos, President of the European Association ofJudges, told Reuters.

A government spokesman told Reuters: "We believe that the bills that are being adopted in Poland regulate the stability of the legal system."

Ahead of the march, a PiS spokesman was quoted by private broadcaster TVN24 as saying thatjudgesshould not get involved in politics.

"We've come here to support Polishjudges. We are here for the rule of law, not for politics," John MacMenamin, a judge of the Supreme Court of Ireland, told a press conference ahead of theprotest.

The upper house of parliament where the opposition has a slim majority could reject the draft legislation, but the PiS-controlled lower house would still have the power to overturn any changes.