EU Judge Dehousse’s Farewell Address, with a short introduction by Professors Alemanno & Pech

An English translation of the farewell address given by Franklin Dehousse as he stepped down as a judge of the European Court of Justice in September 2016.

Judge Dehousse has been among one of the most outspoken critics of the controversial reform of the EU’s court system, which is now encapsulated in Regulation 2015/2422 and Regulation 2016/1192.

The address contains many valuable insights into the internal workings of the EU courts and, at times, the testing relationship between its (then) three constitutive judicial entities, particularly with respect to the controversial doubling in size of the General Court, and the recent dissolution of the Civil Service Tribunal.

His address also offers some sound advice on how any structural reform of the EU’s court system ought to be conducted in the future. Last but not least, the address explains how the CJEU should seek to better manage and conduct itself, failing which its authority may be fatally undermined, with potential negative consequences on the legitimacy of the EU as a whole.

Egmont: Egmont Papers, 2011: The reform of the EU courts (i) http://www.egmontinstitute.be/publication_article/the-reform-of-the-eu-courts/

Egmont: Egmont Papers, 2016: The reform of the EU courts (II). Abandoning the management approach by doubling the General Court http://www.egmontinstitute.be/publication_article/reform-of-eu-courts-2/

Egmont: Egmont Papers, 2016: The reform of the EU Courts (III). The brilliant alternative approach of the European Court of Human Rights http://www.egmontinstitute.be/publication_article/the-reform-of-the-eu-courts-iii/

Council of the European Union: Press Release: PRES/15/497 (23.06.15): Q&A on the reform of the General Court http://www.consilium.europa.eu/en/press/press-releases/2015/06/23-questions-answers-general-court/

ESO: Background information: The General Court prepares for the arrival of new Members http://www.europeansources.info/record/the-general-court-prepares-for-the-arrival-of-new-members/

ECJ: Reform of the EU’s Court System http://curia.europa.eu/jcms/jcms/P_64268/en/

ESO: Background information: The reform of the General Court: unleashing the forces of change http://www.europeansources.info/record/the-reform-of-the-general-court-unleashing-the-forces-of-change/

EUObserver, 05.04.16: EU court reforms damaged system, judge says https://euobserver.com/justice/132920

ESO: Background information: Court of Justice of the EU: Council adopts reform of General Court http://www.europeansources.info/record/press-release-court-of-justice-of-the-eu-council-adopts-reform-of-general-court/

Blog: The Good Lobby, 01.06.16: Reform at the Court of Justice: 'What Caseload backlog?' http://www.thegoodlobby.eu/reform-at-the-cjeu/

Blog: EU Law Analysis, 27.10.16: EU Judge Dehousse’s Farewell Address to the CJEU http://eulawanalysis.blogspot.co.uk/2016/10/eu-judge-dehousses-farewell-address-to.html

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