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Court of Justice of the European Union

The Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) was first created in 1952. The Treaty of Lisbon added to its jurisdictional scope. The CJEU comprises the following 2 branches.

  • The Court of Justice: this court continues to give preliminary rulings, hear some actions against EU institutions brought by EU countries and take appeals from the General Court. It now also gives rulings in the area of freedom, security and justice and makes decisions on police and judicial cooperation in criminal matters and issues arising from the Charter of Fundamental Rights.
  • The General Court: this court has jurisdiction to hear actions against EU institutions brought by citizens and, in some instances, by EU countries. It also gives rulings in cases on employment relations between the EU institutions and their civil servants.

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