Preliminary Reference Under EU Law and ITS Effects on European Standard of Judicial Independence : European Union Member States and the Independence of Their Judicial Systems

Hemen Rasheed Agha

doi:10.25098/6.1.31

Authors

Hemen Rasheed Agha Law Department, College of Law, Cihan University- Sulaimaniya, Sulaimaniya, Iraq

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.25098/6.1.31

Keywords:

Judicial Institutions, supremacy of EU Law, Article 267 TFEU (ex Article 234 TEC), Judicial Independence, rule of law, reform of the judiciary, EU law v. national law, interpretation of EU law, judicial enforcement of EU law

Abstract

The preliminary reference procedure is a provision provided for in Article 267 (Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union) TFEU (ex Article 234 TEC) that acts as an instrument of communication between the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) and national courts. Thus, when a national court or tribunal refers a question of EU law to the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) for a preliminary ruling so as to allow the national courts ask questions on EU law, and on receiving that ruling, assist the national court to decide the case before it. As the questions of EU law will arise in cases before the courts of different Member States; this serves a purpose and that is, the preliminary reference procedure is to preserve the effectiveness and uniformity of EU law throughout the EU member states. However, recent cases and rulings have meant and led the European Union Member States to question their judicial status in relation to EU law and to that effect have requested the Court of Justice of the EU (CJEU) to rule on the independence of their judicial systems.

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