Poland's constitutional court standoff escalates after its president is suspended

Judge Anna Korwin-Piotrowska, one of five judges Nawrocki has refused to swear in, said she had assumed the court's top post, the Guardian reported. Nawrocki entered the building overnight through a police cordon and said in a statement that "a constitutional body was seized by force." Police said three people were detained during protests outside.

Prime Minister Donald Tusk said "restoring the rule of law is our duty," and his government has refused to recognize the court in its current form, AP and the Guardian reported. Legal experts are divided over whether the suspension was lawful.

Why it matters: The court has been at the center of a dispute since 2015 that has strained Poland's relations with the European Union (EU), and the clash comes ahead of next year's parliamentary election.