Legal opinion on whether there is need to take a vote, during the sitting of the Sejm, to remove from office of the member of the Presidium of the Sejm in the event of his/her resignation

Abstract

The opinion analyses the possibility of removal from office of the Marshal (Speaker) and Vice-Marshals (Deputy Speakers) of the Sejm. In the author’s view, the provision contained in the amendment to the Standing Orders (2008) making possible such a remove is not compatible with Article 110 (1) of the Constitution, which does not relate to appointment of a Marshal or Vice-marshals, but rather deals with the “election” of a Marshal (which would imply his/her irremovability during the term of parliament). He also points to the controversies relating to the possibility of an appropriate application of the provision on resignation from the function of Marshal when the Vice-Marshal has been removed from office. Such an interpretation seems to be abuse of law, since an appropriate application of the provisions in similar situations cannot be assumed, but should rather be expressly formulated in a legal provision. From an analysis of Article 10a (5) of the Standing Orders of the Sejm it follows that the future regulation should be made more specific, particularly by the inclusion of the case of death and the conditions of resignation of the Vice-Marshal