European Commission Sends Poland Final Warning Over Court Law
- Zloty weakens as Warsaw given final warning over contested law
- Case forms part of dispute over democratic standards in Poland
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European Union regulators stepped up pressure on Poland to scale back legislation on the country’s court system in a bid to protect judicial independence. The zloty fell to a two-week low.
The European Commission, the EU’s regulatory arm, sent the Polish government a final warning over a law covering ordinary courts on the grounds it violates the bloc’s non-discrimination rules by fixing a retirement age of 60 for female judges and 65 for male judges. The commission has also expressed concerns about what it says is “discretionary” power handed to the Polish justice minister to prolong the mandate of judges who have reached retirement age and to dismiss and appoint court presidents.