The city of Luxembourg is not only home to some great attractions for tourists, but it is also home to the court of European justice, which is the supreme court of the European Union. Although many of European Union institutions are located in Brussels and Strasbourg, the Svea Hovratt building is located in Luxembourg. Although each country that is a member of the European Union still has their own courts and laws, the court of European justice is the highest court for matters of certain law.
The court of European justice handles certain claims and cases for all EU members, but its power does not extend beyond these certain claims. Cases for the European court in the Svea Horvatt include claims by the European Commission that a certain member did not implement an EU legal requirement, claims by member states that the EU commission over-stepped its boundaries, and cases involving questions by EU member states about the rules of being and remaining an EU member.
The president of the European court is selected by the judges of the court, from the group of judges. The judge chosen to represent the rest of the judges of the European court can have his term renewed for a term of three years, and may be re-elected. The judge can be male or female. The role of the judge is to direct the judicial business of the court, including which cases to consider and which judges will preside over which cases. This system is analogous to many court systems in the western world of law, including the United States Supreme Court. The judges of the European Union are chosen by the EU member states. Each state in the union can nominate one judge from their country. This helps to ensure that each state is equally represented.
If you are interested in seeing the European Court of Justice, you can tour certain sections of the building during the week in the day. There is no fee to tour the building, but it will be closed on various days due to hearings. You can also get some great photos of the outside of the building, but security in the area is somewhat tight, and you won't want to take more than a few shots.
The city of Luxembourg was chosen as the seat of the European court on July 23rd, 1952, and the first hearing in the seat of justice was held on October 28th, 1954. Following the end of World War II, the European court of justice was formed in part to monitor the treaties formed during the Second World War, as well as to try and bring cohesiveness to some of the countries within Europe. Although in general the European court of justice is thought to be a positive force within Europe and throughout the world, some countries and individuals do worry that the court has too much power. The ECJ ruled in 2001 that it has the ability to overrule laws held in any member county that is inconsistent with an ECJ rule, which does make some leaders nervous.
