Polish President to veto controversial judiciary reform bills

Warsaw, July 24 (IANS) Polish President Andrzej Duda on Monday announced he would use his veto power to block two controversial bills passed by his own party to reform the country's judiciary system.

Duda said in a televised address that he would veto the laws passed by the ruling nationalist Law and Justice (PiS) Party that aimed to overhaul the powerful judges' ethics council and reform the Supreme Court, reports Efe news.

"Poland's legal system does need a thorough reorganisation, but above all it needs to provide a sense of security," Duda said.

"And no change of the legal system should open a divide between society and the state. I needed to make this decision immediately as the proposed reforms caused huge emotions," he added.

The proposed changes to the judicial system had been harshly criticised by Opposition parties, pro-democracy activists and the European Union (EU).

Duda also said that he was against bolstering the influence of the Attorney General over the Supreme Court, one of the major changes included in the proposed legislation.

Tens of thousands of protesters marched throughout the Eastern European nation over the weekend to express their complete rejection of the government-backed reforms, which they argued would put the principle of the separation of powers in jeopardy.