Judge Jerzy Ciemniewski was born on 2 August 1939 in Warsaw. Graduated from the Faculty of Law of Warsaw University in 1962. Between 1963 and 1969 an assistantr at the Faculty of Law of Warsaw University and since 1969 at the Institute of Law Studies of the Polish Academy of Sciences where he was awarded his juris doctor's degree and a habilitated doctor's degree in constitutional law.

From 1980 to 1989 member of "Solidarity" Trade Union where he actively participated in its initiatives aimed at liberalisation of the law and democratic reform of the political system. A co-founder of the Poland's Helsinki Committee in 1983. Published articles in the underground press on legal matters and took part in the "round table" negotiations being an expert group member on law and judicature and political issues. In 1989 parliamentary elections appointed to the National Electionl Committee by "Solidarity".

From 1989 to 1991 Undersecretary of State in the Office of the Council of Ministers and Secretary of the Council of Ministers. Between 1991 and 1998 Deputy to the Sejm of the Republic of Poland. There he was a member of the Legislative Committee, Special Services Committee, and National Defence Committee, and was Chairman of the Special Committee on Codification of Law. Deputy Chairman of the Constitutional Committee of the National Assembly between 1992 and 1993 and a member of that Committee from 1993 to 1997.

Author of numerosus articles in the field of constitutional law.

In December 1998 the Sejm of the Republic of Poland appointed him judge of the Constitutional Tribunal.