Courts

Ljubljana – The average duration of court proceedings decreased in the first half of this year compared to the pre-pandemic the first half of 2019, the Supreme Court said. Durations have however increased for certain types of cases, such as inheritance proceedings.

Poland's battered judiciary scored a small but important victory on Tuesday, when Warsaw district court judge Igor Tuleya "survived" a hearing before the Disciplinary Chamber of the Supreme Court.

Experts called it a significant win in the struggle raging over ultimate political control of the Polish judiciary, in which Tuleya is seen as one of the most prominent independent figures.

A Constitutional Court decision to annul the law on security investigation and archive research upon an appeal of the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) was published in the Official Gazette on April 28 and entered into force.

The U.K. Court of Appeal - the highest court within the Senior Courts of England and Wales - has granted the Alliance of Turkish Businesspeople (AOTB) permission to appeal a High Court judgment on immigration rules that have made it harder for thousands of Turks to stay in the country.

Critics call the reforms a step-by-step takeover of institutions vital to democracy. 

As determined as PiS is to restructure the system, others are equally bent on resisting the changes. From street protests to legal challenges by judges and lawyers, the backlash has been considerable.

The government's decision to proceed with filling top Supreme Court and Council of State posts just five weeks before a general election has drawn furious criticism from main opposition New Democracy and constitutional scholars.