The General Court is the first court of instance for disputes on EU law, with jurisdiction over various proceedings. Dissatisfied parties can appeal to the European Court of Justice. Judges from each member state are appointed and meet in chambers to hear cases. The working language is French, but translators are provided for litigants. The court hears cases from individuals and member nations and establishes new jurisprudence when necessary. It was established in 1989 and is located in Luxembourg.
The General Court is the court of first instance of the European Union (EU), the court to which people turn when they have disputes on matters of EU law. It has jurisdiction over a wide variety of proceedings, and people who are dissatisfied with the outcome of cases before the General Court can apply to the European Court of Justice for appeals. This court is tasked with interpreting and applying EU law in a wide variety of contexts and has such a busy workload that smaller judicial panels have been created to handle cases within specific jurisdictions.
Each member state of the European Union must provide at least one judge to the General Court. Judges have terms but can be reappointed at the end of each term, and they vote amongst themselves to name their presidents. Judges meet in a series of chambers with small groups of judges to hear most cases, although in special situations, a large panel of judges may be organized to sit down on a complicated or particularly important case.
Traditionally, the common working language of the Tribunal is French and judges usually deliver their deliberations in French without the assistance of a translator. People before the court can present their cases in any of the languages used in the European Union and translators will be provided if needed. This is designed to make the courthouse as accessible as possible for people who wish to take legal disputes to a court of law.
In the General Court, judges can hear cases of individuals as well as member nations. These cases include everything from copyright infringement lawsuits to challenges to EU legislation. Judges weigh the facts of the case as presented and rule on the basis of established case law, if possible. If a decision will establish new jurisprudence, the decision is carefully drafted to provide a basis for the outcome of the case and establish the basis for issuing similar judgments in the future.
Established in 1989, this court sees a large number of lawsuits each year. It is located in Luxembourg, along with a number of other EU institutions, reflecting both historical trends and relatively central location. Persons wishing to sue this court must follow the procedures set out by the Tribunal, and information is published to familiarize people with the process of filing a lawsuit in court.
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