School of Law Students Gain First-hand Insight into EU Judicial Practice

Last December, a group of six students from the School of Law visited the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) in Luxembourg, accompanied by Assistant Professor Nicolas Kyriakides, as part of an educational programme aimed at familiarising students with the functioning of EU judicial institutions. The visit was organised jointly with a group from European University Cyprus and provided participants with a rare opportunity to engage directly with EU judicial practice at the highest level.

During the first day of the visit, students attended a hearing before the General Court in the joined cases T-239/24 and T-240/24, concerning restrictive measures adopted by the European Union in relation to Belarus. Prior to the hearing, students received a detailed legal briefing from members of the chambers of Judge Kanninen, offering valuable insight into the legal and procedural background of the case and the role of the General Court in reviewing EU sanctions regimes.

The programme also included meetings with the Cypriot members of the EU judiciary, Mr Constantinos Lycourgos, President of third Chamber of the Court of Justice, Mr Savvas Papasavvas, Vice-President of the General Court, and Mrs Anna Marcoulli, Judge at the General Court. These discussions allowed students to gain first-hand perspectives on judicial decision-making, career paths within the EU legal order, and the day-to-day work of judges and legal secretaries at the Court.

On the second day, the focus shifted to the institutional and administrative aspects of the Court’s work. Students attended presentations on multilingualism and the role of lawyer-linguists, explored the Court’s library and research facilities, and were introduced to the research tools used by the Research and Documentation Directorate. The programme concluded with individual research time in the Court’s library, enabling students to engage directly with EU legal sources in a professional judicial environment.

Overall, the visit offered a comprehensive and enriching experience, bridging academic study with practical exposure to EU law in action. It reinforced the School of Law’s commitment to experiential learning and provided students with invaluable insight into the operation, culture, and significance of the Court of Justice of the European Union within the EU legal order.