The State Court imposed, for the third time, a disciplinary fine of 3 thousand zlotys on former president Małgorzata Manowska. The decision arises from repeated failure to comply with the obligation to convene a plenary session of the court, despite clear deadlines and repeated determinations. The new president, Zbigniew Kapiński, was instructed to carry out the call immediately.
The penalty is linked to the process of excluding judge Piotr Sak from the trial against the former president of the National Broadcasting Council, Maciej Świrski. In March 2026, a panel of three judges ordered Manowska to convene the plenary to discuss the mechanism for forming the trial panels.
Context of the legal dispute
The case goes back to a motion to remove Judge Piotr Sak. Judges Przemysław Rosati, Marek Mikołajczyk and Piotr Zientarski set a deadline of April 4 for the summons, under penalty of sanctions. Manowska did not attend scheduled hearings and did not comply with the order.
At each opportunity, the court imposed a fine of 3 thousand zlotys and reassigned a new date. The hearing only took place at the end of her term, causing significant delays in the proceedings.
Defense and allegations of political motivation
In the defense presented in March, Małgorzata Manowska argued that the actions against her were political in nature. She considered the expectation of a quick resolution of the issue of appointing panels in the short term unrealistic, pointing out circumstances that would indicate partisan motivation.
The president of the three-member panel, Przemysław Rosati, reinforced that this was the third penalty imposed for non-compliance with legal obligations. He highlighted that Manowska had again failed to fulfill her duty.
End of term and transition in command
Małgorzata Manowska’s term as first President of the Supreme Court and President of the State Court ended on May 26, 2026. Zbigniew Kapiński took office and inherited the pending crisis. The court ordered him to convene the plenary immediately, without setting an exact date given the new responsibilities.
The next hearing on the exclusion of judge Piotr Sak is scheduled for July 29, 2026. At it, the current situation regarding whether or not the plenary session will be convened will be assessed.
Broader political dispute in the background
Behind the case, there is an extensive political controversy over Maciej Świrski’s constitutional responsibility. A group of 185 deputies filed a motion in May 2024 to take him to the State Court, accusing him, among other things, of not paying amounts owed to public media outlets. The motion was approved by the commission and the Sejm in July 2025.
Deputies from the Law and Justice (PiS) party contested the decision and appealed to the Constitutional Court. This declared two provisions unconstitutional, but the Sejm, in a resolution of March 2024, established that considering Constitutional Court decisions issued in violation of the law could constitute non-compliance with the principle of legality. Since then, such decisions have not been published in the Official Gazette.
What changes in practice for the Polish judicial system
The repetition of fines and the delay caused highlight institutional tensions during the transition of power in the Polish judiciary. The new president faces the challenge of unlocking paralyzed processes, while the debate about judicial independence and the responsibilities of former authorities persists. The outcome of the July hearing could set the pace for sensitive trials involving political figures from the previous period.