by National Federation of Polish NGOs
The Polish government has withdrawn a provision from a controversial draft law that would have limited CSOs’ right to file cassation appeals in administrative court proceedings. The proposal, a draft Law on Amendments to the Law on Proceedings before Administrative Courts and part of a broader deregulatory effort, sparked strong protests from civil society, who warned that the changes would restrict access to justice and hinder CSO advocacy.
The draft had introduced the amicus curiae mechanism (friend of the court) to allow CSOs to share opinions in significant cases. However, it simultaneously sought to remove their right to challenge final court rulings via cassation appeals, raising concerns that this could be used to silence dissent.
Following public condemnations, protests, and a short public consultation, the government revised the draft and removed the most problematic provision. However, CSOs stress the importance of monitoring the ongoing deregulation process, as future proposals may continue to pose risks to access to justice, advocacy rights, and rights to public participation.
