(ANSA) - WARSAW - Poland's lawmakers voted overwhelmingly on Wednesday to send a contentious draft law reorganizing the work of the nation's top court for more work by a special parliamentary commission, as European Union leaders expressed concern about rule of law in Poland.

With the vote, the parliament, which is dominated by the populist ruling party, cut short a very heated debate surrounding the draft law on the Supreme Court.

Lawmakers voted 434-6 with one abstention for the commission for justice and human rights to review and issue its opinion on the draft law, which gives politicians, not lawyers, the power over appointments to the Supreme Court and reorganizes its structure.

It was not clear when the opinion would be known.

In a heated debate Tuesday, the opposition proposed more than 1,000 amendments to the draft, which, it says, kills judicial independence. The bill calls for the immediate dismissal of the current Supreme Court judges, except those chosen by the justice minister. The ruling Law and Justice party proposed to change the provision and give the president, not the justice minister, the power to appoint the key court's judges.

A street protest accompanied the debate.

The European Commission is to discuss developments in Poland but will take no action before the final shape of the law is known.

The ruling party insists that the judiciary needs radical reform to be efficient.

(ANSA).