Top EU court rules Poland wrongly transferred critical judge

FILE PHOTO: European Union and Polish flags flutter in Mazeikiai, Lithuania April 5, 2019. REUTERS/Ints Kalnins/File Photo

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - The top European Union court ruled on Wednesday that Poland violated a key democratic tenet of judicial independence in forcing the transfer of a judge critical of the government, as well as denying him the right to appeal to an independent court.

The ruling by the Luxembourg-based Court of Justice of the EU is the latest blow to the sweeping overhaul of courts carried out by Poland's populist governing Law and Justice (PiS) party.