Poland's president names 27 Supreme Court judges despite high court decision

Poland’s president named 27 new judges to the Supreme Court on Wednesday as part of a judiciary reform. The changes are pursued by the ruling nationalist party and have triggered a European Union lawsuit over alleged dismantling of rule of law norms. The move was made despite a high court having ordered a hold on judicial appointments, which were made under recommendations of serving judges, rather than politicians, before the conservative PiS party won election in 2015, Reuters said. Poland’s judicial oversight body, the KRS, which recommends judicial appointments to the president, was until 2015 staffed mainly by judges chosen by other judges. Now they are chosen mainly by PiS officials.