Polish ruling party proposes bill to unblock Constitutional Tribunal

FILE PHOTO-A police officer stands outside Poland's Constitutional Tribunal building, as people attend a demonstration during a session of the tribunal, ruling on whether several articles of EU Treaties comply with the Polish Constitution, in Warsaw, Poland September 22, 2021. REUTERS/Kacper Pempel

The number of judges constituting a full court in Poland's Constitutional Tribunal would be cut under a bill published by ruling party lawmakers on Friday, in a bid to overcome a row that threatens to block access to European Union funds.

The court has been split by a dispute over whether the term of its president Julia Przylebska has expired, raising doubts over whether the required 11 judges will attend a key May 30 hearing on the judicial reform the country needs to pass to access EU funds.