EU Court of Justice Rejects “Automatic Refusal” of European Arrest Warrants Issued by Polish Authorities

On December 17, 2020, the Court of Justice of the European Union, Grand Chamber, (CJEU or the Court) delivered a judgment in joined cases C-354/20 PPU and C-412/20 PPU Openbaar Ministerie (Independence of the issuing judicial authority). The ruling falls in a series of the Court’s decisions concerning grounds for a refusal of an execution of an European arrest warrant (EAW), most notably those issued by Polish authorities.