Court of Justice of the European Union, International court in Kirchberg district, Luxembourg City, Luxembourg.
The Court of Justice of the European Union is an international courthouse in the Kirchberg district of Luxembourg City that rules on matters of EU law. The building consists of several interconnected glass and steel towers housing courtrooms, deliberation chambers, and administrative offices.
The court began in 1952 under the Treaty of Paris as the legal body overseeing the Coal and Steel Community and ensuring member states followed treaty obligations. Over the following decades its jurisdiction expanded with each new European treaty, eventually becoming the supreme legal authority for the entire Union.
Judges from all member countries wear traditional red robes during public hearings, a custom borrowed from the French legal system. Proceedings often take place in several languages at once, with interpreters working from booths to ensure everyone in the room follows the arguments.
Visitors can attend public hearings from the gallery if space is available and should check in advance which cases are being heard. The complex sits in the European Quarter and is reachable by public transport or on foot from the city center.
The court's rulings bind every national court in Europe even when they disagree, giving it an extraordinary reach in legal matters. Each judgment is first written only in French before being translated into the other official languages.
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