Judicial appointments to the court of justice of the European Union

Abstract

The methods to come to judicial appointments can be various and they can be distinguished depending on how different actors interact in the process. Looking at these systems is important as they reveal much about the judicial body itself and the role they perform within a specific legal framework. In this essay the author aims to consider what can be behind the norms contained in the treaties governing the European Union’s judicial institutions and to cast some light on what the judicial appointment process can tell about the role performed by the Court of Justice of the European Union in the European context. Such topic has not received massive attention by scholars but yet it assumes great importance considering the vital impact of the rulings of the Court of Justice and the widespread demand for independent and impartial judiciaries. In examining the topic, the author takes into consideration the current rules for judicial appointments set out in the treaties, the newly created panel in charge with the evaluation of the suitability of the appointees to the Court of Justice of the European Union and the need to comply with the requirements set out in the European Convention on Human Rights, in light of the future accession of the European Union to it.