Polish court rules human rights commissioner must leave

Adam Bodnar, the acting ombudsman will have to resign following a decision made by the Constitutional Tribunal on Thursday. Bodnar is currently serving past his previous term following a deadlock on the appointment of a new ombudsman. While parliament or Sejm proposes a candidate the chosen candidate has to be accepted by the senate which is currently made up of an opposition majority. The forced resignation of Bodnar paves the way for the ruling Law and Justice party to amend the law and appoint a loyalist candidate. Such a move would further put in danger the already fragile rule of law and democratic accountability mechanisms in Poland. The country has already come under scrutiny for its attack on the judiciary and the free press by fellow EU members.