Poland 'broke EU law' by trying to change judges' retirement age

An attempt by Poland to change the retirement age of its judges broke EU law, the bloc's top court ruled Tuesday, intensifying a showdown between Brussels and the conservative government in Warsaw over democratic standards.

Rules Poland tried to bring in two years ago, setting lower retirement ages and making them different for male and female judges, were "contrary to EU law," the Luxembourg-based European Court of Justice said, siding with the European Commission.

It also took exception to an associated rule giving Poland's justice minister sole discretion to decide whether to extend a judge's service beyond the mandated retirement age.

Poland's government reacted by arguing the changes were a sovereign decision that "did not infringe on the judges' independence" -- and in any case the law had been amended.

"The verdict relates to an old situation that does not correspond to current regulations," its foreign ministry said on Twitter, noting that the reform was changed last year to ..