In the Journal of Laws on Thursday afternoon, the ruling of the Constitutional Tribunal was published, declaring unconstitutional the provision, which allows the Ombudsman to perform his duties after the end of his term of office until his successor takes office. The provision is to expire 3 months after the publication of the ruling.
As indicated by the Constitutional Tribunal in the justification of the judgment, within that time the parliament should pass an act on the term of office of the Ombudsman.
In the justification of the judgment, Judge Stanisław Piotrowicz emphasized that the three-month period for the expiry of the law was defined in order to maintain the continuity of protection of the rights and freedoms of citizens.
Proceedings in this matter were initiated by PiS deputies with a motion submitted to the Tribunal in mid-September last year. The aim was to examine the constitutionality of the statutory extension of the performance of duties by the Ombudsman in a situation where his five-year term specified in the constitution expired and a successor was not elected by the parliament.