A woman holds flags during an anti-government protest in support of free courts in front of the Supreme Court building in Warsaw, Poland on July 27, 2018. (REUTERS File Photo)
WARSAW, November 21 (Reuters): Poland's ruling Law and Justice party (PiS) rushed a legislative amendment through parliament on Wednesday reversing reforms it had made at the Supreme Court which the European Union had condemned as undemocratic.
The European Court of Justice ruled in October that Poland must suspend its overhaul of the Supreme Court, which critics said allowed the eurosceptic PiS to hand-pick top judges.
PiS lawmakers unexpectedly proposed amendments on Wednesday morning and used an expedited procedure to skip steps in the legislative process, allowing a vote to be held later on Wednesday.
The original law lowered the retirement age of judges to 65 from 70. Since its implementation, more than 20 Supreme Court judges — around one-third of the total — have been forced to quit.
The proposed amendment stipulates judges who were retired can return to work at the court.
"We are fulfilling our obligations," Justice Minister Zbigniew Ziobro told parliament. "At the same time, we are pushing forwards with our changes in the justice system."
