Wojciech Sadurski (born 5 June 1950) is a Polish and Australian scholar of constitutional law. As of 2023, he is Challis Professor in Jurisprudence at the University of Sydney [1] and Professor in the Centre for Europe in the University of Warsaw.
Wojciech Sadurski (born 5 June 1950) is a Polish and Australian scholar of constitutional law. As of 2023, he is Challis Professor in Jurisprudence at the University of Sydney [1] and Professor in the Centre for Europe in the University of Warsaw.
Sadurski was born on 5 June 1950 in Warsaw; [2] his father Franciszek Sadurski was a lawyer, Peasant Battalions major, ZSL deputy to the PRL parlament. Sadurski emigrated to Australia in 1981 and holds dual citizenship. [3] According to Associated Press, Sadurski is "a law professor of international renown". [4] He has written several books on constitutional law and has served as a visiting professor at Yale Law School, New York University Law School, Cardozo Law School, and University of Trento. He first gained tenure at the Department of Jurisprudence at the University of Sydney, then under Alice Erh-Soon Tay. From 1999 to 2009 he was a professor at European University Institute in Florence and, from 2003 to 2006, the dean of the Faculty of Law of the European University Institute. [5] [2] As of 2020, he is Challis Professor in Jurisprudence at the University of Sydney and Professor in the Centre for Europe in the University of Warsaw. [5]
Sadurski is on the editorial board of European Law Journal, Politics, Philosophy and Economics, and Law and Philosophy Library. Since 2011, he chairs the academic advisory board of Community of Democracies. [5]
Sadurski is a vocal critic of the Law and Justice (PiS) party in Poland, [3] [4] which he describes as autocratic and authoritarian. [6] In 2019, he published a book with Oxford University Press titled "Poland's Constitutional Breakdown". [7] [8] The book was translated into Polish by Anna Wójcik; the Polish edition was published in October 2020. [9] Three cases have been brought against him by the ruling party and those affiliated with it. According to Sadurski, the cases "are totally and unambiguously politically motivated. Further, I believe that they are coordinated and syncronised." [10] PiS has also brought libel cases against other critics of the government. [10]
Hundreds of law professors signed a letter in support of Sadurski, stating that there was "a coordinated harassment campaign by the Polish ruling party against a well-known and respected academic who has clearly struck a nerve with his powerful critique of the situation in his native country". [3] [15] [10] According to the open letter, the cases have little chance to succeed if appealed to the European Court of Human Rights or an EU court, because freedom of speech is guaranteed by treaties to which Poland is a party. [15] Questions about Sadurski's case have been raised in the European Parliament [16] and Dutch Parliament. [17] The Human Rights Institute of the International Bar Association also called for charges against Sadurski to be dropped. Former Australian High Court judge Michael Kirby commented: "Poland’s citizens, including Professor Sadurski, must always have the ability to criticise the government without fear of retribution or imprisonment." [18] Scholars at Risk characterizes the prosecution of Sadurski as "apparent retaliation for the peaceful exercise of the right to freedom of expression" and states that state crackdowns on free expression cause "a chilling effect on academic freedom and undermine democratic society generally". [19]
The European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR), also known as the Strasbourg Court, is an international court of the Council of Europe which interprets the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR). The court hears applications alleging that a contracting state has breached one or more of the human rights enumerated in the convention or its optional protocols to which a member state is a party. The court is based in Strasbourg, France.
Wojciech Witold Jaruzelski was a Polish military general, politician and de facto leader of the Polish People's Republic from 1981 until 1989. He was the First Secretary of the Polish United Workers' Party between 1981 and 1989, making him the last leader of the Polish People's Republic. Jaruzelski served as Prime Minister from 1981 to 1985, the Chairman of the Council of State from 1985 to 1989 and briefly as President of Poland from 1989 to 1990, when the office of President was restored after 37 years. He was also the last commander-in-chief of the Polish People's Army, which in 1990 became the Polish Armed Forces.
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Events in the year 2021 in Poland.
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