European litigation

Duration

30h Th

Number of credits

Lecturer

Jonathan Wildemeersch

Language(s) of instruction

French language

Organisation and examination

Teaching in the second semester

Schedule

Schedule online

Units courses prerequisite and corequisite

Prerequisite or corequisite units are presented within each program

Learning unit contents

The course presents the essential characteristics of the European Union's judicial organisation and describes the organisation and composition of the various courts constituing the European Court of Justice.


It then briefly describes the various remedies which fall within the jurisdiction of the Court of Justice of the European Union and examines in detail the procedural remedies with which the practitioner is most likely to be confronted: on the one hand, the action for annulment (as well as the plea of illegality and the appeal) and, on the other hand, the preliminary reference (in interpretation and assessment of validity).


Finally, the course considers the way in which judgments of the Court of Justice of the European Union are received in national legal systems, emphasising the role of the national judge.

 

Learning outcomes of the learning unit

In the continuation of 'Droit insitutionnel européen' and 'Droit matériel européen' given in bachelor, 'Contentieux européen' (Procedural EU Law) aims to give the student an overview of the judicial mechanisms provided for by the EU treaty and TFEU to ensure the application of Union law. At the end of the course, students must also be able to bring and/or process an action for annulment and a reference for a preliminary ruling before the Court of Justice. They must also be familiar with issues relating to the application of Union law by national courts.

Prerequisite knowledge and skills

Successful completion of 'Droit institutionnel européen'.

Planned learning activities and teaching methods

The course is initially based on ex cathedra theoretical teaching. Nevertheless, the professor attaches great importance to illustrating the course using 'landmark' case-law - which has shaped European litigation - and more recent judgments that continue to evolve the subject. These judgments are, as far as possible and depending on the number of students, presented by the students and then developed by the professor as part of a discussion involving the students.

Students also have eventually the opportunity to spend a day at the European Court of Justice (subject to organisational constraints).

 

Mode of delivery (face to face, distance learning, hybrid learning)

Face-to-face course

Recommended or required readings

Detailed Powerpoint slides, which outline the structure of the course, are provided to students on MyULiège at the end of each course to support the ex cathedra lecture.

These books can be used as a reference work:

• M. WATHELET et J. WILDEMEERSCH, Contentieux européen, Larcier, 2e éd., 2014;
• L. COUTRON, Droit de l'Union européenne - Institutions, sources, contentieux, Dalloz, 6e éd., 2021. 

Exam(s) in session

Any session

- In-person

oral exam


Additional information:

Exams are, in principle (subject to the number of students), oral examinations.

If all students have had the opportunity to present a judgment of the Court of justice during class, these presentations are valued by the professor and reflected in the final grade.



 

Work placement(s)

Organisational remarks and main changes to the course

Contacts

caroline.langevin@uliege.be

jwildemeersch@uliege.be

margaux.clement@uliege.be 

Association of one or more MOOCs

There is no MOOC associated with this course.

Items online