European court says suspension of Polish judge criticizing government was against EU law

WARSAW, Poland (AP) — Europe’s top court says that the suspension in Poland of a judge who has criticized the government is against EU law and he should be returned to his duties. The ruling Thursday was one in a string of European Union decisions ordering Poland to roll back changes to the judiciary that the EU says violate legal principles. Judge Igor Tuleya was suspended in 2020 and had his pay reduced by a judicial disciplinary body created and controlled by the Polish government. Tuleya had criticised the right-wing government’s actions in the judiciary. The disciplinary body has since been discontinued because it violated EU judicial rules, but other judiciary bodies have been blocking Tuleya’s reinstatement.