The European Union’s top court has ordered Poland to suspend a controversial judicial reform that forced the country’s Supreme Court judges into early retirement.
The ruling Law and Justice party had defended its efforts to overhaul an inefficient justice system that has not been reformed since communist times. Critics, however, say the government’s moves have been a politically-motivated assault on the rule of law.
On October 19, the European Court of Justice ordered Poland to halt the reform.
As reported by the Financial Times, Malgorzata Gersdorf, the Supreme Court president who was herself ousted by the reforms, was among those returning to work on October 22. She called on the remaining judges to follow suit. A spokesman for the court said they were expected to do so this week.
“To some extent we are currently the winners,” said. “We’ll see what happens later, but for now it’s OK.”
