The Court of Justice of the European Communities, 5th ed.

Book abstract:

Since the last edition of this book in 1993, much has taken place in the European Union: notably Austria, Finland and Sweden have joined and the Treaty of Amsterdam has entered into force. These events along with the continuing developments in the case-law of the Court of Justice and the Court of First Instance have meant that a complete revision of this book was necessary.

The book is divided into four parts which are preceded by a general introduction to sources of Community law, the location of the institutions and an explanation of the principle of linguistic equality. Part 1 focuses on the organisation and composition of the Court of Justice with chapters on the court organisation, the appointment and conditions of service of both judges and advocates general, and the Court of First Instance. The jurisdiction of the Court of Justice is examined in Part II with individual analysis of its actions against member states, the judicial review of Community acts, its plenary jurisdiction, its role in staff cases, its right to give preliminary rulings and its means of advisory jurisdiction through 'opinions'. Part III looks at procedure and practice in the Court and the role of lawyer representing his client there. The final part of the book discusses what is sometimes termed judicial legislation by the Court, that is the different ways in which the Court's decisions constitute sources of Community law. The final chapter of the book looks at the future of the Court, particularly the problems posed by enlargement and the increased number of languages.

This book is suitable for undergraduates studying the foundation subject of European law, as well as those engaged in the study of its more detailed aspects. This guide to the Court of Justice may also be useful to practitioners unfamiliar with the intricacies of EC law.