Poland's new judicial reform in limbo after president voices concerns

WARSAW (Reuters) - Poland's parliament will not start debating a judicial reform bill on Thursday the ruling party hoped would unblock COVID-19 recovery funds withheld by Brussels in a dispute over the rule of law after the country's president voiced his concerns.

Embroiled in a long-running row with the European Union over the independence of the courts, Poland's government on Tuesday said it had agreed with Brussels amendments that would free up billions in funds, which economists say are crucial for an economy hit hard by the war in Ukraine.

But after President Andrzej Duda struck a cautious tone about the bill, the ruling Law and Justice (PiS) party said it would be taken off the agenda of a parliamentary sitting on Thursday, casting doubt over its future.

"In connection with the appeal of President Andrzej Duda, a decision was made by Speaker Elzbieta Witek to take the bill on changes in the judiciary off the agenda," party spokesman Rafal Bochenek said.

"We believe that such an important act requires in-depth discussion."

Duda, an ally of the ruling party, earlier said he would assess the bill's compliance with the constitution, "but also take into account Poland's sovereign right to shape the justice system in the way we, as Poles, want to."

The amendments would mean that the Supreme Administrative Court would deal with disciplinary cases instead of a contested chamber of the Supreme Court in a bid to address concerns that the previous system had been used to punish judges critical of the government's judicial reforms.

Judges would also not face disciplinary action for questioning the independence of colleagues appointed by organs critics say are politicized.

Duda has previously opposed any measures that could allow judges to call into question the legitimacy of their colleagues.

"I will not allow any legal act to be introduced into the Polish legal system that would undermine these nominations, would allow for the verification of presidential nominations," he said on Thursday.

The latest set of judicial reforms has split the ruling camp, with a junior partner in government saying it will vote against the reforms, which it says damage Poland's sovereignty.

Opposition lawmakers, whose support would be needed to pass the bill, have said they will examine it, but that it cannot be fast-tracked through parliament.

(Reporting by Alan Charlish, Anna Koper, Anna Wlodarczak-Semczuk and Pawel Florkiewicz; Editing by Tomasz Janowski)