Tomasz Szmydt on Warsaw's logic and judge appointment process in Poland

MINSK, 12 May (BelTA) – In a new episode of the V Teme [On Point] project on BelTA’s YouTube channel the Polish dissident, judge Tomasz Szmydt talked about the judge appointment process in Poland.

"You need to graduate from a university and pass the judge exam. It is very difficult. Depending on the grade, you try to find a judicial practice. There is such a position, an assessor. He considers cases, passes sentences, but he is not yet a judge. This period lasted about two years for me and ended with a positive grade. After that, you may expect an appointment to the post [of the judge] from the president," Tomasz Szmydt said.

There are cases when the Polish president does not sign the application. "An application can be tabled for several years," the judge explained.

A judge must have an unblemished reputation, Tomasz Szmydt emphasized. "Every time you are promoted, your application is signed by the president. Three presidents signed my promotion. Now they tell me that I am a spy. Where is the logic? I think the presidents were very competent, so now I am here, telling the truth," he said.