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The Court of Justice of the European Union (ECJ) has backed the opponents of judicial reform in Poland.
The ECJ on Tuesday approved the right of candidates for the Polish Supreme Court to appeal against decisions of the National Judicial Council.
The State Judicial Council plays a crucial role in appointing judges as it evaluates and nominates candidates.
Critics accuse the body of no longer being independent, but of being under the influence of the ruling nationalist party Law and Justice (PiS).
The Luxembourg judges ruled that several changes in the law had the effect that a judicial review of the decisions of the National Judicial Council before administrative courts was de facto annulled.
This violates EU law.
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The final decision on appeals against decisions of the National Judicial Council would have to be made by a Polish court.
In its judgment, the ECJ emphasized that EU law prohibits amendments to the law that could lead to judges not being viewed as independent and impartial.
Poland has long been in conflict with the European Union over its judicial reform.
The critics reproach the government in Warsaw that the independence of the judiciary is endangered by the increasing political control of the judges.
The PiS justifies the reforms with the need to make the courts more effective.
Many members of the Polish judiciary welcomed the verdict.
It limited political power, said lawyer Marcjanna Debska.
The lawyer Krystyna Pawlowicz, however, criticized it, saying that it had no legal basis and was contrary to the legal system of Poland.
Based on the judgment of the European Court of Justice, the Supreme Administrative Court can now examine the complaints of the five judges who are not loyal to the government.