The Role of the National Judge in the European Judicial System

Click here to access the Wallis report as adopted in plenary and in committee.

News: on 23 July, Diana Wallis spoke at the conference on judicial training in Bordeaux organised by the French Presidency.

NEWS: On 9 July, the plenary approved Diana's report, together with all her amendments, by an overwhelming majority. MEP CALLS FOR BETTER EU TRAINING FOR NATIONAL JUDGES (DIANA WALLIS MEP) Diana Wallis' own-initiative report on "the Role of the National Judge in the European Judicial System" was adopted today with an overwhelming majority (625 in favour) by the full European Parliament. The report follows over a year of detailed investigation and dialogue with national judges, national authorities and European institutions. Speaking after the vote, the rapporteur, Diana WALLIS (ALDE, UK) said: "As a co-legislator, the Parliament is keen ensure that the laws adopted at EU level are properly implemented, including by national judges. National judges are on the frontline of European law, and have a duty to uphold individual rights conferred by it. They also have a duty to recognise and enforce judgments in other Member States and therefore trust needs to be developed between national judges. "I received over two thousand personal responses from individual judges in all 27 Member States. There is a general feeling, from Lisbon to Vilnius, that European law is rather distant and too complex. National judges are not given the time or the means to overcome this complexity. This must be counteracted. "National judges must be properly equipped legally and linguistically to deal with the challenges of an enlarged EU legal order. We need better treatment of EU law in national training courses for judges, more judicial exchanges, increased language training, and finally a European judicial academy. These elements properly combined could foster a common judicial culture." "I am glad that the French presidency is treating this issue as a priority, and call on all Member States to take a very proactive stance on judicial training." END

On 29 May, the Committee on Legal Affairs voted on the Draft Report, together with the 27 amendments and further compromise amendments tabled. The text is set to go to plenary in July 2008. The version of the report as adopted in plenary will shortly be available on the Parliament's website.

Read Diana's draft report, as presented on 27 March in the legal affairs committee.

Diana Wallis will present her draft report in the Legal Affairs Committee on 27 March 2008. A deadline for amendments will be set. The report and annex will be translated in all official EU langauges. To check whether your language is already available, please consult the following page: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/meetdocs/2004_2009/organes/juri/juri_20080326_0900.htm

BACKGROUND TO THE REPORT:

Programme for hearing on 11 June 2007.

Lord Justice Rix's presentation.

Judge Girbovan's presentation.

Judge Marosi's presentation.

Summary of the hearing produced by the Council.

Hearing on 3 May organised by Ms. Frassoni: presentation from Judge Siredey-Garnier.

USEFUL LINKS:

European Commission

Communication on Judicial Training.

Communication on the setting up of a Justice Forum.

European Judicial Atlas in Civil matters.

EUROPEAN COURT OF JUSTICE

Information note on references from national courts for a preliminary ruling.

Addendum to the note, concerning the urgent procedure.

Click here to see Diana's page on the urgent procedure.

JUDICIAL NETWORKS

European Judicial Training Network.

European Judicial Network in civil and commercial matters.

Network of the Presidents of the Supreme Judicial Courts of the European Union.

Association of the Councils of State and Supreme Administrative Courts of the EU.

COUNCIL OF EUROPE

HELP Programme of the Council of Europe.

Consultative Council of European Judges (CCJE).

European Commission for the Efficiency of Justice.

Lisbon Network.

Charter on statute for judges.