Poland bows to EU court reversal of Supreme Court retirements

Poland on Monday bowed to a ruling by the EU's top court ordering it to suspend a law that had lowered the retirement age of its Supreme Court judges amid concerns about judicial independence. The European Court of Justice (ECJ) had initially ordered Poland on October 19 to suspend the law before finalising the "interim measure" on Monday. "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 ECJ said in a statement. Polish President Andrzej Duda signed the legislation reversing the retirements on Monday evening, with only hours to spare before a midnight deadline set by Polish law. On November 21, Poland's parliament passed the legislation bowing to the initial EU court ruling. The European Commission, the EU's executive arm, has been locked in a bitter battle over sweeping judicial changes introduced by Poland's right-wing Law and Justice (PiS) government since it took office in 2015. The showdown has led the EU to trigger unprecedented proceedings against Poland over "systemic threats" to the rule of law that could eventually see its EU voting rights suspended. In early October, the Commission took Poland's government to the ECJ for lowering the age at which Supreme Court judges must retire from 70 to 65. On October 19, the court ordered Poland to suspend the law "pending the making of an order closing the interim proceedings". The court, which upheld the interim measures on Monday, is expected to make a permanent decision in the case next year.