The role of the national judge in the European judicial system

2.00.00pm GMT Thu 27th Mar 2008

Diana Wallis MEP, a member of the Legal Affairs Committee in the European Parliament, today presented her report into the 'Role of the national judge in the European judicial system'.

The role of the national judge - as a judge, indeed the first line judge of EU law - in the European judicial system is crucial for the development of the Community legal order. The functioning of Community law in practice depends largely on the capacity of the national judges to fulfil their role as Community law judges. The report is a result of a huge survey of judges in all 27 EU states to assess how national judges function in their own work in respect of EU law and what obstructions and problems they see.

Diana Wallis said:

"Judges are at the frontline of European Law and if they are blind to it, well then we really have problems. It would be like the blind leading the blind!

"Our research shows that language training is key to the better functioning of national judges and lawyers in their roles, so that they can co-operate with their fellow judges and access other resources. Of course this does not relieve the need for more secondary EU law materials being available in all community languages.

"There is also room to increase the dialogue between national judges and the European Court of Justice around the preliminary reference procedure so that national judges become more confident and familiar with the process."

The report will be open to amendments until 24th April and debated in the Parliament's plenary before the summer.

For a copy of Ms. Wallis's report:

www.dianawallismep.org.uk/pages/Nationaljudge.html