Waldemar Żurek, the Minister of Justice, recently announced that he would like to relinquish control over the Justice Fund. Attorney Adam Gomoła reminded the head of the Ministry of Justice that, under the law, it is he who is the Fund’s administrator. “To amend a statute, discussions with fellow ministers are not enough. What matters is Parliament—and in the end, a signature would be needed,” he added.
The Ministry of Justice under Waldemar Żurek—as has been shown repeatedly—has problems accounting for funds from the Justice Fund allocated to various purposes assigned to the fund, including post-penitentiary assistance and support for crime victims. In competitions, applications are assessed by a private company, while entities providing assistance with funds from the Justice Fund still have not received support.
Money exists—but not for those in need
On Friday, Wirtualna Polska reported that Żurek’s ministry “once again failed to complete, within the set timeframe, the assessment of applications concerning assistance for crime victims.” The original deadline for announcing the competition results was December 6, 2025, but it was postponed to February 27, 2026.
“Throughout January, foundations, associations, and organizations caring for crime victims did not carry out many of the tasks for which they were established. They also lacked funds to pay rent for the premises in which they operate and to pay salaries to their employees,” wp.pl reported.
Changes instead of responsibilities
What comes instead of meeting deadlines? A “new opening.” In an interview with onet.pl, Onet reported that Żurek said he wants to “relinquish control over the Justice Fund.” His idea would involve various ministries.
“So that a minister-politician is not the decision-maker here. Funds should be distributed across the whole of Poland so that regions receive a specific pool of money to allocate to local non-governmental organizations,” Żurek stated.
The Minister of Justice also claimed in the interview that “the first million” from the Justice Fund would “soon go to those in need.”
Lawyer: Discussions with colleagues are not enough to change the law
The Minister of Justice’s proposals were dissected on social media by Adam Gomoła, an attorney and defense counsel for former Ministry of Justice official Karolina Kucharska (Święcicka), charged by the Korneluk prosecutor’s office in a case concerning the spending of Justice Fund resources.
“Minister, Article 43 §2 of the Executive Penal Code states that the administrator of the Justice Fund is the Minister of Justice. And pursuant to Article 43 §10 of the EPC, it is the Minister who, when granting subsidies, concludes the relevant contracts. The Executive Penal Code is a statute. To change a statute, discussions with fellow ministers are not enough. What matters is Parliament—and in the end, a signature would be needed,” Gomoła reminded.
“It is not so easy to rid oneself of statutory duties—even when they are performed ineptly,” he added.