Poland’s membership of the European Union tumbled into uncertainty as judges defied a European court order to reverse a number of its contentious judicial reforms.

Senior Polish judge, Stanislaw Piotrowicz stated that interim measures imposed by the EU’s highest court, which ordered Warsaw to suspend the reforms were “not in line” with the Polish constitution.

This ruling is the first of two verdicts scheduled to be revealed this week by Polish judges which seemingly question a key requirement of European Union membership, stating that EU law takes precedence over national laws.

The ruling led Guy Verhofstadt, an MEP and former chief Brexit co-ordinator, to caution that Poland’s Eurosceptic government was attempting to remove the country from the bloc.

Verhofstadt said on Twitter: “Against the wishes of the vast majority of Polish people who want an EU future, the populist governing PIS [Law and Justice] party is determined to take Poland out of the EU.

“Will anyone act to stop them before it is too late?” he went on to say, claiming that the rule of law in Poland was breaking down.

The ruling from Poland followed the European Court of Justice issuing an interim order for Warsaw to suspend its “disciplinary chamber” of the Supreme Court, within measures to overhaul the Polish legal system.

As part of the Polish reforms, which came into effect in February last year, the disciplinary chamber has the authority to strip judges of immunity and cut their salaries.

The reforms also stop judges from referring certain points of law to the ECJ.

MEPs were shocked at the ruling, hiking fears Poland would leave the EU.

“The refusal to implement rulings of the European Court of Justice in Poland is a clear step towards taking Poland out of the European Union,” Jeroen Lenaers, a Dutch MEP, commented.

“We fear that the Polish government is on the path to Polexit,” he added.

“We are in the process of a legal Polexit which is taking place step by step,” Adam Bodnar, Poland’s independent human rights ombudsman said after the ruling.