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Introductionandmethodology
willenableadiagnosisregardingguaranteesoftherighttoindependent
courtsalsoinPolandpost-2015,thatissincethebeginningofthecon-
stitutionalcrisis.Owingtothis,theanalysisofjudicialindependence
hasgainedatopicaldimensionasregardsthesystemplane.Normative
changesconcerningthestatusofjudgesandcourtsystemthathave
beentakingplacerecently,plannedchangesintheSupremeCourtand
intheNationalCounciloftheJudiciaryhavenotbeenasofyetsubject
toadogmaticanalysis.Theintroducedandplannedchangesmerit
athoroughexploration,especiallyintheconstitutionaldimension,
withinthecontextofthethreatstheymayposetojudicialindependence.
Fromthepointofviewoftheanalyzedproblem,thesocialreceptionof
thesechangesisalsoofconsiderablesignificance.Lately,judgeshave
beensubjectedtoenormoussocialpressureandpressureexertedbythe
media,whichhavealreadypassedtheirjudgement,orbypoliticianswho
attempttoinfluencerulings.Atthesametime,thegreatestsocialvalue
providedbycourtjudiciaryisthesocialtrusttowardcourtsandbelief
intheindependenceofjudges.Notonlyjudgesmustbecertainthatthey
areindependentandthattheywillnotfaceanyharassment,nomatter
howminor,asaconsequenceofrulingsdeliveredinaccordancewith
theirconscienceandwiththelaw.Thesocietytoomustbeconvinced
ofthejudges'independence.Owingtothis,theworkalsocitesresultsof
sociologicalresearchconcerningjudicialindependence,conductedboth
amongstmembersofthesocietyandthejudgesthemselves,showing
thatthevalueofjudicialindependenceisindeedveryfragile,easily
destroyed,butdifficulttorestore.
Guaranteesofjudicialindependencearenotaprivilegeofjudges.Judicial
independencecannotbeusedbythejudgestoconcealabusesoftheir
office.Ajudgecannothidebehindjudicialindependencetocoverup
inactioninthecasestheyareconductingorthecommissionofobvious
errors.Judicialindependence,whichwillbediscussedmoreextensively
furtheron,doesnotsignifyabsolutefreedom,northatjudgesmayact
accordingtotheirownwhimsortoabusetheauthoritytheyhavebeen
granted.AjudgeisnotGod.Judicialindependenceisstrictlycoupled
withjudicialresponsibility.
