Skip to content
Subscriber Only
Politics

Polish Court Reforms Get New Rebuke in EU Court Opinion

  • Poland's justice minister says opinion contradicts EU treaties
  • Standoff over judiciary pressures government before election
A woman walks by the Polish Supreme Court.

A woman walks by the Polish Supreme Court.

Photographer: Omar Marques/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images

Updated on

Poland suffered another rebuke over its sweeping judicial reforms after an adviser to the European Union’s top court criticized one of the cornerstones of the overhaul for failing to keep judges at arms length from politicians.

The case is part of a string of challenges to have reached the top EU tribunal over Polish judicial independence since the government started its sweeping overhaul four years ago. The stand-off has put Poland at odds with its European allies and risks cuts in EU budget transfers to the bloc’s largest formerly communist nation.