Judge Iwaniec loses immunity. Supreme Court suspends him and cuts salary
The Supreme Court has stripped immunity from Warsaw judge Jakub Iwaniec in connection with suspicions of driving under the influence of alcohol and causing a collision in October 2023 in Rejowiec Fabryczny.
Stripping of judge Iwaniec's immunity
The Supreme Court on Tuesday stripped immunity from Warsaw judge Jakub Iwaniec. The case concerns suspicions of driving a motor vehicle under the influence of alcohol and causing a collision that occurred on 11 October last year in Rejowiec Fabryczny in the Lublin region. As reported by Dziennik Gazeta Prawna, the order was issued by the president of the Chamber of Professional Responsibility at the Supreme Court, Maria Szczepaniec.
The Supreme Court simultaneously ordered the suspension of the judge and a reduction in his salary by 50 per cent. "Analysis of the evidence material makes it possible to establish that the fact of the existence of sufficiently substantiated suspicion of committing a crime by the judge raises no doubts," said judge Szczepaniec. The order is not final; the defence has the right to lodge a complaint.
Reconstruction of the event and toxicological tests
The October incident unfolded as follows. Judge Iwaniec participated in an event organised by a shooting association, during which he consumed alcohol. Around 21:00 he was driven home to Rejowiec Fabryczny. Several minutes later he ordered pizza for personal collection and went to the pizzeria, where he stayed for approximately 25 minutes.
On the return journey, according to the National Prosecutor's Office, Iwaniec's car left the carriageway onto the pavement and struck a tree located three metres from neighbouring properties. The vehicle then reversed, entered the carriageway and continued driving, entering the judge's property. On the night of the incident, Iwaniec was taken to hospital, where toxicological tests were conducted showing 1.85 per mille of alcohol in the blood approximately three hours after the incident.
Defence position and procedural concerns
The judge's defence consistently contests the prosecution's version. Iwaniec's lawyers argue that the vehicle was driven by a passenger, not the judge. Lawyer Michał Skwarzyński emphasised to the Supreme Court that the prosecutor's office did not conduct evidence proceedings on the question of who actually drove the car. The defence indicated a specific person who, in its view, was behind the wheel.
The defence also signalled political undertones to the case. A year ago the case was commented on by the head of the justice ministry, Waldemar Żurek, pointing to Iwaniec's cooperation with the previous government and his involvement in the so-called hater scandal. These statements serve as a point of reference for the defence's arguments concerning the independence of the proceedings.
Material based on reports from Dziennik Gazeta Prawna and information from the National Prosecutor's Office.
Source: Dziennik Gazeta Prawna