Polish Supreme Court’s top judge defies ‘purge’

WARsAW: Poland’s Supreme Court chief justice showed up at work in defiance of a retirement law pushed through by the right-wing government but criticised by the EU as undermining judicial independence.

The European Union on Monday launched legal action against Poland over the reform, the latest salvo in a bitter battle over sweeping judicial changes introduced by the ruling Law and Justice (PiS) government that critics have decried as unconstitutional.

According to Amnesty International, judges in Poland are “experiencing political pressure” in connection with the PiS judicial reforms that critics insist pose a threat to the separation of powers that is key to democracy.

Malgorzata

Gersdorf (pic) has branded the

PiS reform, which lowers the retirement age of its judges from 70 to 65, as a “purge of the

Supreme Court conducted under the guise of retirement reform”.

Insisting “the constitution gives me a six-year term”, Gersdorf, who is 65, has refused to comply with the reforms that require her to step down immediately, cutting short her tenure slated to end in 2020.

“I’m not engaging in politics; I’m doing this to defend the rule of law and to testify to the truth about the line between the constitution and the violation of the constitution,” Gersdorf told reporters and supporters after re-emerging from the court.

“I hope that legal order will return to Poland,” she said.

“Values, goals, norms are constant and unified, but people change and they can make mistakes – that’s why values are the most important and we have to apply and demand those values,” Gersdorf said before thanking supporters for “coming so early... – while I overslept!” — AFP