The European Court of Justice
How the EU's highest court ensures uniform application of EU law, its power to overrule national courts, and the constitutional revolution it engineered through landmark rulings.
Role and Structure
The Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU), commonly called the European Court of Justice (ECJ), sits in Luxembourg and serves as the supreme interpreter of EU law. It comprises one judge from each member state (27 as of 2024), appointed for renewable six-year terms. Below it sits the General Court, which handles cases brought by individuals and companies.
The ECJ has jurisdiction over disputes between member states and EU institutions, preliminary references from national courts seeking clarification of EU law, and actions brought by the European Commission against member states that fail to comply with their obligations. Its rulings are binding and cannot be appealed. This makes the ECJ one of the most powerful international courts in existence, with authority that far exceeds the International Court of Justice or any other supranational tribunal.
