Poland's new ruling team lashed for trying to reverse recent choice of special court judges

WARSAW, Poland – Poland's new ruling party is facing strong criticism for rushing through legislation that allows it to stack the nation's top court with its supporters.

Dominated by the conservative Law and Justice party, parliament late Thursday approved an amendment that voids the appointment of five judges to the Constitutional Tribunal and allows for other judges to be proposed and appointed to the posts. The move seems intended to bring in judges linked to ruling Law and Justice.

Former head of the tribunal, Andrzej Zoll, said the move means "as of today, Poland is no longer a law-abiding democracy."

The appointments were made in October while the chamber was dominated by the previous ruling team. They took place hastily, before the judges' terms expired, and were also criticized.