The EU’s Court of Justice has ruled that Poland’s decision to lower judges’ retirement ages contravened EU law, in a new setback to the government’s bid to reform the judiciary.

Poland has already reversed  the 2017 reforms and reinstated judges forced to retire, after an outcry at home as well as in Brussels. Poland broke EU law on two fronts. The Court said it was wrong to set a lower retirement age for women and to give a minister a final decision. The Polish foreign ministry responded by saying the law had been changed. As the verdict “relates to an old situation” it said the complaint should have been withdrawn.

At the time, both male and female judges and prosecutors retired at 67 but Poland’s socially conservative government cut the age to 60 for women and 65 for men.

Poland’s government, run by the Law and Justice Party (PiS), argued it was trying to fight corruption and replace judges whose careers dated back to the communist era, but critics said it was seeking to appoint loyalists instead.(BBC)…[+]

A Colorado man has appeared in court for allegedly plotting to bomb a synagogue in a case US prosecutors describe as “domestic terrorism”. According to court documents, Richard Holzer planned to bomb the Temple Emanuel synagogue in the town of Pueblo as part of a “racial holy war”.

Following a sting operation, the 27-year-old met FBI undercover agents to visit the temple and plan his attack, prosecutors say. Mr Holzer has not yet entered a plea. During his court appearance he requested a court-appointed lawyer.

FBI special agent John Smith said in an affidavit that Mr Holzer had “used several Facebook accounts to promote white supremacy ideology and acts of violence”.

He told undercover officers that he used to be a member of the Ku Klux Klan (KKK) – one of the oldest white supremacy groups in the US – and was now a skinhead.(BBC)…[+]

Kevin Bruce, who was recently accused of pulling a gun on a policeman at a city station, yesterday learned that he will be spending the next two years in jail for having an unlicensed gun and ammunition. Bruce, called ‘Banky,’ was brought to the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts, where he was sentenced to two years in prison for having an illegal gun in his possession and another two years for having ammunition for the illegal weapon. The sentences are to be served concurrently, meaning that Bruce will only serve two years in prison. He was also fined $50,000.

When Bruce first appeared at the city court, he had pleaded guilty to having the Taurus .32 pistol along with the 10 live .32 rounds of ammunition in his possession, while not being the holder of a firearm licence at the time.(Stabroek News)…[+]