Poland is defying threats of legal action by the European Union as the Warsaw government refuses to abandon efforts to clear out the country's highest court, including the enforced retirement of its president.
The justice minister insisted Thursday that Supreme Court chief justice Malgorzata Gersdorf had retired under a law that she has rejected as unconstitutional.
The EU has criticised the measure as a threat to judicial independence and is set to impose penalties on Poland in retaliation.
Mrs Gersdorf, 65, refused to comply with the law that brings down the retirement age for Supreme Court judges from 70 to 65. She insists that Article 183.3 of the constitution sets her term at six years, overriding the new law.
Mrs Gersdorf was working at the Supreme Court on Thursday, a court spokeswoman said. Demonstrators had vowed to protect her at the court premises on Wednesday, the day the law took effect, but the government failure to act against her.
Zbigniew Ziobro, justice minister in the right-wing government, said age-limit legislation voids the six-year term guarantee made on appointment.
"The Constitution clearly states that whether someone is going into retirement or not is decided by common law," Mr Ziobro said. "Under the constitution, Mrs. Gersdorf has retired because she exceeded the age limit of 65."
Campaigners said the chief justice's defiance had rattled the Warsaw government.
“We drew the world’s attention to the attempted constitutional coup,” said Bartlomiej Przymusinski, a leader of Iustitia, the independent professional association of judges in Poland that organised protests. “We supported Gersdorf. The next step will be a legal complaint to the European Court of Justice. And we’re ready to come back and protest at the court at any time.”
Poland's ruling Law & Justice party said its move is designed to modernise a court system that has been untouched since the fall of the Communist system in the last century. But the move, which has hallmarks of similar overhauls by authoritarian governments in other post-Communist states, concentrates power in the executive.
Billions of euros in aid transfers to Poland are now in jeopardy. The European Commission is determined to discipline Poland for failing to uphold democratic values, an unprecedented process that could strip the country of its voting rights in EU organizations.
The new law introduced a retirement age of 65 and would require as many as 27 of the 73 justices to leave their jobs. The law allows justices to petition the president to stay beyond that time, and at least 16 of them have done so. But Gersdorf refused to recognise the change and has vowed to keep working until her term ends.
“From their point of view, the demonstrators have reached their goal, as the Chief Justice wasn’t dismissed,” said Anna Materska-Sosnowska, a political scientist at Warsaw University. “The situation seems to be under control for the time-being, so the protests are on hold.”
President Andrzej Duda considers Gersdorf officially retired and named Jozef Iwulski as her interim successor.
Lech Walesa, the hero of the anti-Communist movement and Nobel Peace Prize winner, participated in the street protests in Warsaw. "Anyone who opposes the separation of powers is a criminal,” Mr Walesa told the crowds. “We must hold these people accountable because they’re acting against Poland’s interests.”
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Dr Amal Khalid Alias revealed a recent case of a woman with daughters, who specifically wanted a boy.
A semen analysis of the father showed abnormal sperm so the couple required IVF.
Out of 21 eggs collected, six were unused leaving 15 suitable for IVF.
A specific procedure was used, called intracytoplasmic sperm injection where a single sperm cell is inserted into the egg.
On day three of the process, 14 embryos were biopsied for gender selection.
The next day, a pre-implantation genetic report revealed four normal male embryos, three female and seven abnormal samples.
Day five of the treatment saw two male embryos transferred to the patient.
The woman recorded a positive pregnancy test two weeks later.
Our legal consultant
Name: Dr Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
Where to donate in the UAE
The Emirates Charity Portal
You can donate to several registered charities through a “donation catalogue”. The use of the donation is quite specific, such as buying a fan for a poor family in Niger for Dh130.
The General Authority of Islamic Affairs & Endowments
The site has an e-donation service accepting debit card, credit card or e-Dirham, an electronic payment tool developed by the Ministry of Finance and First Abu Dhabi Bank.
Al Noor Special Needs Centre
You can donate online or order Smiles n’ Stuff products handcrafted by Al Noor students. The centre publishes a wish list of extras needed, starting at Dh500.
Beit Al Khair Society
Beit Al Khair Society has the motto “From – and to – the UAE,” with donations going towards the neediest in the country. Its website has a list of physical donation sites, but people can also contribute money by SMS, bank transfer and through the hotline 800-22554.
Dar Al Ber Society
Dar Al Ber Society, which has charity projects in 39 countries, accept cash payments, money transfers or SMS donations. Its donation hotline is 800-79.
Dubai Cares
Dubai Cares provides several options for individuals and companies to donate, including online, through banks, at retail outlets, via phone and by purchasing Dubai Cares branded merchandise. It is currently running a campaign called Bookings 2030, which allows people to help change the future of six underprivileged children and young people.
Emirates Airline Foundation
Those who travel on Emirates have undoubtedly seen the little donation envelopes in the seat pockets. But the foundation also accepts donations online and in the form of Skywards Miles. Donated miles are used to sponsor travel for doctors, surgeons, engineers and other professionals volunteering on humanitarian missions around the world.
Emirates Red Crescent
On the Emirates Red Crescent website you can choose between 35 different purposes for your donation, such as providing food for fasters, supporting debtors and contributing to a refugee women fund. It also has a list of bank accounts for each donation type.
Gulf for Good
Gulf for Good raises funds for partner charity projects through challenges, like climbing Kilimanjaro and cycling through Thailand. This year’s projects are in partnership with Street Child Nepal, Larchfield Kids, the Foundation for African Empowerment and SOS Children's Villages. Since 2001, the organisation has raised more than $3.5 million (Dh12.8m) in support of over 50 children’s charities.
Noor Dubai Foundation
Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum launched the Noor Dubai Foundation a decade ago with the aim of eliminating all forms of preventable blindness globally. You can donate Dh50 to support mobile eye camps by texting the word “Noor” to 4565 (Etisalat) or 4849 (du).
