Poland must halt the application of a law that caps the age of Supreme Court judges at 65 and reinstate those who have been forced out, the EU Court of Justice ruled on Friday.
MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 19th October, 2018) Poland must halt the application of a law that caps the age of Supreme Court judges at 65 and reinstate those who have been forced out, the EU Court of Justice ruled on Friday.
"Poland must immediately suspend the application of the provisions of national legislation relating to the lowering of the retirement age for Supreme Court judges," the judgment reads.
The order applies retroactively to Supreme Court judges who had to retire under the provisions that entered into force on April 3. Those who turned 65 before that date were required to step down on July 4 unless they filed a request with the Polish president.
The EU top court stressed that Poland violated EU laws by giving the president the power to decide whether to extend the active judicial service of Supreme Court judges.
Polish judicial reforms, among other changes, have caused a rift between Warsaw and Brussels. The European Commission argues the change infringes on judicial independence.
