Sylwia Gregorczyk-Abram

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Sylwia Gregorczyk-Abram
Sylwia Gregorczyk-Abram in 2020
Born (1982-11-19) 19 November 1982 (age 41)
Poland
EducationUniversity of Warsaw
Occupation(s)attorney, social activist
EmployerClifford Chance
Known forWolne Sądy
SpouseGrzegorz Abram

Sylwia Marta Gregorczyk-Abram (born 19 November 1982) is a Polish attorney and social activist.

Education and legal career[edit]

Graduate of the Faculty of Law and Administration at the University of Warsaw (2006), she completed a postgraduate degree in medical law, bioethics, and sociology.[1] In 2010 she was admitted to the Warsaw Bar as an advocate.

Since 2006 professionally affiliated with Clifford Chance law office in Warsaw, where she is responsible for pro bono legal practice.[2] She specialises in legal proceedings as well as civil and criminal law.[3] In April 2016 she became a proxy for cooperation with non-governmental organisations at the Warsaw Bar Association.[3] In recognition of her legal and public activity, in 2021 she was chosen Maurice R. Greenberg World Fellow at Yale University.[4]

Throughout her career, Gregorczyk-Abram has provided pro bono legal advice to non-governmental organisations which promote the rule of law and advocate for a systemic reform of the Poland’s judiciary,[3] including the Helsinki Foundation for Human Rights, Habitat for Humanity Poland or Court Watch Poland Foundation.[5] She is a member of the board of Zbigniew Holda Association,[6] where she ran "Constitutional Week" – a nationwide initiative of lawyers who give lessons about the Polish Constitution in primary and secondary schools.[7]

Public activity[edit]

See also: Protests against Polish judiciary reforms

In 2017, amid a series of public protests against the judiciary reforms introduced by the Law and Justice (PiS) government, along with Maria Ejchart-Dubois, Paulina Kieszkowska-Knapik and Michał Wawrykiewicz, she co-founded the Free Courts Civic Initiative (Inicjatywa Obywatelska “Wolne Sądy”).[8] In December 2019, the group organised a series of public protests against the proposed legislation that allowed the newly formed Disciplinary Chamber of the Supreme Court of Poland to punish judges who engage in what the government deemed "political activity".[9][10][11] In 2018, she was among co-founders of the Komitet Obrony Sprawiedliwości (KOS, Justice Defence Committee).[12][4][13]

In 2019, Gregorczyk-Abram successfully represented LGBT+ groups on a pro bono basis in their legal motion against a pro-government conservative Polish newspaper Gazeta Polska which resulted in the court’s decision to halt the distribution of controversial “LGBT-free zone” stickers.[14][15][16][17] She also served as a representative of judges appealing to the Court of Justice of the European Union in joint case C-585/18, C-624/18iC-625/18A.K,[18] concering the independence of the Disciplinary Chamber of the Polish Supreme Court as well as in the case C-487/19 of a Polish judge Waldemar Żurek questioning his transfer to another court,[19][20] which both ended with a ruling undermining the legality of the reforms introduced by the Polish government.[21]

Awards and achievements[edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Sylwia Gregorczyk-Abram.

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Sylwia Gregorczyk-Abram". prawo.gazetaprawna.pl (in Polish). 2016-11-15. Retrieved 2021-12-26.
  2. ^ "Clifford Chance | Sylwia Gregorczyk – Abram". Clifford Chance. Retrieved 2021-12-26.
  3. ^ a b c "Sylwia Gregorczyk-Abram | Rzecznik Praw Obywatelskich". bip.brpo.gov.pl. Retrieved 2021-12-26.
  4. ^ a b "Sylwia Gregorczyk-Abram". Maurice R. Greenberg World Fellows Program. Retrieved 2021-12-26.
  5. ^ Walencik, Ireneusz. "Prawniczka z Clifford Chance najlepsza w wolontariacie pro bono | Rynek Prawniczy" (in Polish). Retrieved 2021-12-26.
  6. ^ "O Stowarzyszeniu". Stowarzyszenie im. prof. Zbigniewa Hołdy. 2016-10-20. Retrieved 2021-12-26.
  7. ^ "Lawyers turn to romcoms in fight for rule of law in Poland". the Guardian. 2021-11-29. Retrieved 2021-12-26.
  8. ^ a b "Lawyers from 'Free Courts' win European Citizens' Prize". wbj.pl. Retrieved 2021-12-26.
  9. ^ Zbytniewska, Karolina (2019-12-20). "'Free Courts' activists: Poland makes another big step towards Polexit". www.euractiv.com. Retrieved 2021-12-26.
  10. ^ Popp, Maximilian; Puhl, Jan (2021-08-13). "Poland's Judges Are Fighting To Save Rule of Law and Their Own Jobs". Der Spiegel. ISSN 2195-1349. Retrieved 2021-12-26.
  11. ^ Ojewska, Natalia (2019-12-20). "Polish Parliament Backs Judicial Bill Opposed by EU". Wall Street Journal. ISSN 0099-9660. Retrieved 2021-12-26.
  12. ^ INPRIS. "Justice Defence Committee (KOS) is set up | INPRIS". www.inpris.pl. Retrieved 2021-12-26.
  13. ^ Kompała, Martyna (2021-09-08). "Sylwia Gregorczyk-Abram: Zapowiedź kar finansowych dla Polski oznacza, że żarty się skończyły [WYWIAD]". www.euractiv.pl (in Polish). Retrieved 2021-12-26.
  14. ^ "Clifford Chance | Clifford Chance leads LGBT groups to victory in Poland". Clifford Chance. Retrieved 2021-12-26.
  15. ^ "Clifford Chance Helps Fight Anti-LGBT Stunt In Poland – Law360". www.law360.com. Retrieved 2021-12-26.
  16. ^ "Polish magazine dismisses court ruling on 'LGBT-free zone' stickers". POLITICO. 2019-07-26. Retrieved 2021-12-26.
  17. ^ "Poland court bans 'LGBT-free zone' sticker from sale". BBC News. 2019-07-25. Retrieved 2021-12-26.
  18. ^ "50 najbardziej wpływowych prawników 2019 [RANKING DGP]". www.gazetaprawna.pl (in Polish). 2020-01-28. Retrieved 2021-12-26.
  19. ^ "Poland's transfer of judge without his consent undermines judicial independence, EU court rules". POLITICO. 2021-10-06. Retrieved 2021-12-26.
  20. ^ "'We, in Poland, are witnessing a unique revolution in Poland against the rule of law' – Rule of Law". ruleoflaw.pl. Retrieved 2021-12-26.
  21. ^ Kaczyński, Piotr Macej (2021-10-07). "Court of Justice slams Polish judiciary reform, again". www.euractiv.com. Retrieved 2021-12-26.
  22. ^ "Prawnikiem Pro Bono 2016 została mec. Sylwia Gregorczyk-Abram". Rzeczpospolita (in Polish). Retrieved 2021-12-26.
  23. ^ "V edycja konkursu Wolters Kluwer i Dziennika Gazety Prawnej Rising Stars". www.wolterskluwer.com (in Polish). Retrieved 2021-12-26.
  24. ^ "Adw. Sylwia Gregorczyk-Abram laureatką Złotego Paragrafu". Naczelna Rada Adwokacka – Warszawa (in Polish). Retrieved 2021-12-26.
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