Polish President Sends Freedom of Assembly Bill for Constitutional Court Review

Polish President Andrzej Duda asked the country's Constitutional Court to conduct a compliance review of a new bill that amends the law on the freedom of assembly.

WARSAW (Sputnik) — Poland’s President Andrzej Duda sent the bill, which amends the law on the freedom of assembly, for a compliance review to the Poland’s Constitutional Court, the presidential office said Thursday.

"President Andrzej Duda … sent the request to the Constitutional Court for compliance review of the bill from December 13, 2016 that amends "The right for assembly" law … according to President Andrzej Duda, the freedom of assembly is a necessary element of democracy," the presidential statement said.

Duda was in doubt over several clauses of the new document, particularly the appealing procedure against the decision of the authorities to ban meetings, as well as the new rules with regard to the events that took place before the new law came into force.

The bill was approved by the lower and upper houses of the Polish parliament.

Former head of the Constitutional Court Andrzej Rzeplinski repeatedly criticized the new laws, the Law and Justice (PiS) government and its reform of the Constitutional Court. On December 19, Rzeplinski called on the president not to sign three laws on the Constitutional Court and rather send them to the Court for the review of matching with the Constitution.