Last week saw two cases which proved to Polish politicians need to watch their words. First, Jarosław Kaczyński, the head of Law and Justice (PiS) and a former PM, lost a civil case brought by Ludwik Dorn, a former political ally, PiS leader and interior minister. Dorn sued Kaczyński for publicly alleging that he had not been paying alimony.

The PiS leader was ordered to pay a symbolic złoty as compensation to Dorn and to contribute zł.5,000 to a charity. Kaczyński is expected to appeal the verdict.

A different court last week ordered former Civil Platform (PO) politician and current Dziennik columnist Jan Rokita to apologize to Konrad Kornatowski, a former Polish Police chief. In 2007 Rokita accused Kornatowski of helping to cover up the murder of an anti-communist opposition member in 1986.

The court verdict cleared Kornatowski of the accusations.