WARSAW — Backing down from a showdown with Brussels, Poland’s government reversed its purge of the country’s Supreme Court, as the president signed a law on Monday that will reinstate the judges who had been forced out of their jobs.

It was a remarkable turnaround after months of Poland’s top officials saying they would resist pressure to stop the overhaul of the judiciary. The ruling party, Law and Justice, had put tightening its grip on the courts at the center of its agenda, claiming that it was vital to rid the courts of corrupt judges and Communist-era vestiges.

The European Union sees the changes Poland has made to its judiciary in the last three years as a violation of the bloc’s core values, a threat to the rule of law and the end of judges acting as a check on political power. Last year, the union chastised Poland and took the first steps toward stripping the country of its voting rights in Brussels — a penalty that has never been used against a member nation.

Poland’s concession on the Supreme Court is by no means the end of that conflict between the right-wing, nationalist Polish government and Brussels, but it represented a striking change in tone.</s>Polish President Andrzej Duda has signed legislation reinstating Supreme Court judges who were forced into early retirement despite the EU condemning their removal as a violation of democratic standards. Earlier on Monday, the European Court of Justice ruled that Poland needed to suspend a law that lowered the retirement age for Supreme Court judges, and to reappoint around two dozen justices who had been affected by the law. Duda signed the revisions that removed the early retirement provisions, presidential aide Pawel Mucha said late on Monday. The quick response comes amid a broader push by Poland’s conservative ruling party, Law and Justice, to ease tensions with the EU, AP reported.</s>WARSAW, Poland (AP) — Poland's president signed legislation Monday that reinstates Supreme Court judges who were forced into early retirement despite the European Union condemning the removals as a violation of democratic standards.

Earlier in the day, the EU's top court, the European Court of Justice, ruled that Poland needed to suspend a law that lowered the retirement age for Supreme Court judges and to put about two dozen justices the law had affected back on the bench.

President Andrzej Duda signed the revisions that removed the early retirement provisions, presidential aide Pawel Mucha said late Monday. The quick response comes amid a broader push by Poland's conservative ruling party, Law and Justice, to ease tensions with the EU.

Monday's ruling confirmed the Court of Justice's interim judgment from October ordering Poland to reinstate justices who were forced to step down when the retirement age was lowered from 70 to 65. The European Commission, which enforces EU law in member countries, had asked the court to review Poland's law.

The commission viewed the forced retirements of the judges as erosions of judicial independence and democratic standards because it gave the legislative and executive branches of government unprecedented control over the courts.

After the interim injunction, Poland's parliament passed the amended legislation to remove the early retirement provisions.

Critics of the government welcomed the backtracking on the issue of the retirement age but argued more must be done to undo what they see as extensive damage to judicial independence under the Law and Justice.

They say the ruling party's overhaul of the judicial system included capturing control of the Constitutional Court and a council that names judges, as well as other steps that increase its sway over the Supreme Court.

Law and Justice came out of local elections this fall bruised in major cities, where many voters rejected the party's previous euroskeptic course. The EU is extremely popular among Poles, who have grown richer and gained unprecedented freedom to travel and to work abroad thanks to their country's EU membership.

The party has given signs it is embracing a comparatively moderate, EU-friendly program as it gears up for elections to the EU's European Parliament in the spring and to the national parliament in the fall.</s>President Andrzej Duda has signed the amendment to the Supreme Court law that allows the judges who were sent to retirement after reaching 65 years of age to return to the court duties, informed the Deputy Chief of the President's Chancellery Paweł Mucha on Monday evening.

EU court orders Poland to immediately suspend the laws on Supreme Court As Mucha announced, a more extensive communique in regard to president's decision should appear later on Monday or on Tuesday morning.

Lower house of Polish parliament adopted the amendment on the 21st of November, two days later it was backed by the Senate. The bill later went to the president who, according to the law, has 21 days to ratify it. Monday, the 17th of December was the deadline.

The amendment pertains to the Supreme Court law from December 2017, that entered into effect on April 3rd 2018. The new law allows the Supreme Court's and the Supreme Administrative Court's judges who were forced into retirement after reaching 65 years of age to return to fulfilling their duties in the position held on the 3rd of April 2018. "Service in the position of Supreme Court and Supreme Administrative Court judge is considered uninterrupted," reads the amendment.

The judges falling in the scope of the amendment may, however, remain retired, as long as they submit a proper statement within 7 days from the day the new law becomes effective. Such statement must be submitted to the president via the National Council of the Judiciary.

Timmermans: Poland needs to resolve all the issues; not only the Supreme Court There can be no... czytaj dalej » The amendment also assumes that if on its basis a judge who used to be the First President of the President of the Supreme Court return to his or hers duties, their tenure will be considered uninterrupted. The regulation pertains to the First President of the Supreme Court Małgorzata Gersdorf, as well as Presidents of two of the courts chambers - Stanisław Zabłocki and Józef Iwulski.

The European Court of Justice ruled earlier on Monday that Poland must immediately suspend a new law that lowered the age of retirement of its Supreme Court judges, provisionally backing the European Commission in its battle with Warsaw.

The top court had already asked Poland in an interim judgment in October to halt the overhaul of its Supreme Court and to reinstate judges forced into early retirement. The court on Monday backed this ruling, saying the suspension of the Polish law was justified.</s>The European Court of Justice ruled on Monday that Poland must "immediately" suspend judicial reforms that imposed earlier retirement ages on justices of its Supreme Court.

The April law backed by Poland's ruling Law and Justice (PiS) party lowered the judges' retirement age from 70 to 65, allowing them to stay on past that age only if they gained the permission of President Andrzej Duda. The measure would have forced about 40 percent of the court's judges, including Chief Justice Małgorzata Gersdorf, into early retirement.

The government argued the measure was needed to rid the court of communist-era holdovers, but the European Commission challenged the law as a danger to the EU's legal order. Critics said the law violated the Polish constitution and was an attempt to purge the court and bring it under tighter political control.

In October, the ECJ issued a provisional ruling that the application of the law be frozen, pending a full hearing before the court, and the judges forced out were allowed to return to work. Monday's ruling confirmed that interim measure. The final judgment will come at a later date.

In Monday's ruling, the EU's top court found that the Commission's arguments about Poland's actions were not unwarranted, and that otherwise "the independence of that court may not be ensured" until the ECJ issues its verdict on the Commission's challenge.

It added that the EU's legal system "could be seriously and irreparably affected" if the law is allowed to continue in force.

Last month, PiS reversed some of the changes to the Supreme Court law. The ruling party has also taken a much more pro-EU public stance, a recognition of the broad popularity of being a member country.

Read this next: Theresa May holds the line as MPs demand early Brexit vote</s>The European Union's top court has ruled Poland must immediately suspend a law that forced some Supreme Court judges to retire, drawing a line under a dispute between Warsaw and Brussels.

Poland's ruling Law and Justice (PiS) party had already agreed to scrap the law that lowered the judges' retirement age after the European Court of Justice issued an interim judgement against the legislation in October.

The Eurosceptic and nationalist PiS initially pushed through a range of new powers after coming to power in 2015 that rights groups and EU officials said threatened the rule of law and increased the government's control over Polish courts.

PiS originally argued the changes were needed to improve the efficiency of the courts and rid the country of a residue of communism.

But it has shown signs of softening its position on a number of issues as it prepares for national elections next year.

President Andrzej Duda, an ally of the ruling party, said late on Monday he had approved revamped legislation to reverse the change to the judges' retirement age.</s>EU court orders Poland to suspend law on removal of judges

WARSAW, Poland (AP) — The European Union's top court has ruled Poland must immediately suspend a law that lowered the retirement age for Supreme Court judges.

The European Court of Justice in Luxembourg on Monday confirmed an interim judgment from October to reinstate judges who had been forced into early retirement earlier this year. The court's steps reflect support for the European Commission, which enforces EU law in the 28 member states, in an ongoing standoff with Poland.

The commission viewed the forced early retirement of some two dozen judges as erosions of judicial independence and democratic standards because it gave the legislative and executive branches of government unprecedented control over the courts.

After the interim injunction, Poland's parliament passed amended legislation to remove the early retirement provisions but that still awaits presidential approval.</s>Polish President Andrzej Duda signed legislation late Monday reinstating around two dozen Supreme Court judges forced into early retirement.

Earlier in the day, the European Court of Justice (ECJ) had ordered Poland to immediately suspend a law that lowered the retirement age from 70 to 65.

The Polish parliament passed a revision to the law in late November following an interim ECJ order in October .

The European Commission, the EU's executive arm, had asked the bloc's top court to review the legislation over concerns the reforms gave the government control of the judiciary.

The EU has been in a bitter dispute with Poland's ruling Law and Justice (PiS) party since it made sweeping changes to the judiciary after coming to power in 2015. The government says that the changes were necessary to make the Supreme Court more efficient.

The standoff triggered the EU to launch proceedings against Poland over concern about judicial independence and the rule of law that could see Warsaw lose its voting rights in the bloc.

Critics welcomed the government's reversal, but say PiS has exerted control over top courts and a council that appoints judges.

Monday's court ruling upheld an interim order. A final ECJ decision is expected next year.

Every evening at 1830 UTC, DW's editors send out a selection of the day's hard news and quality feature journalism. You can sign up to receive it directly here.</s>Polish president Andrzej Duda has backtracked on a controversial law that suspended members of the country's supreme court after an international backlash and protests across the country.

The government pushed through an amendment on Monday suspending parts of the law that forced judges into early retirement, a rare example of the country stepping back from a conflict with the EU and adopting a more conciliatory approach.

Mr Duda put his signature to the amendment just hours after the European Court of Justice (ECJ) - an EU body - ordered Poland to reinstate supreme court judges who had been forced to retire or face financial penalties.

The law, which came into effect in July, saw 22 supreme court judges forced to quit their posts before the expiration of the constitutional term.

The law was criticised for being a legal veil for a government-orchestrated purge of judges who did not align politically with the ruling Law and Justice party (PiS), and thousands protested in cities across the country.

Mr Duda on Tuesday suggested that Poland was implementing the injunction only to relieve pressure from Brussels for now, not because it agreed with the decision politically, and that the ruling would not derail the government's programme.</s>The EU's top court on Monday upheld a ruling ordering Warsaw to suspend a law lowering the retirement age of its Supreme Court judges amid concerns about Poland's judicial independence.

The European Court of Justice (ECJ) had 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.

"The pleas of fact and law raised by the (European) Commission justify granting interim measures," the Luxembourg-based court said.

The Commission, the EU's executive arm, has been locked in a bitter battle over sweeping judicial changes introduced by Poland's rightwing 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.

On November 21, Poland's parliament bowed to the EU court ruling. But the legislation reversing the Supreme Court retirement law has not yet been promulgated.

Under Polish law, President Andrzej Duda has until midnight Monday to sign the legislation into law.
Polish President Andrzej Duda signs into law the bill, passed by the Parliament of Poland three weeks ago, reinstating the Supreme Court judges who had been forced out of their jobs when legislation to lower the judges's mandatory retirement age was enacted in July. This addresses one of the issues that has been in dispute with the European Union.